Happy 25th Birthday Anthony!!!!!

My baby boy is now 25 years old, wow. I have reflected on some of my memories and thoughts about him and am sharing them as part of his birthday present. They are not in any particular order, they are not complete, and they are as accurate as my reflections make them.

1. Anthony was born on my sister Katherine's birthday and I think that is the coolest thing.
2. I did not know if he was going to be a boy or girl and can't even remember the girl choice names but he was going to be either Andrew or Anthony and as soon as he was handed to me after he was born I knew he was to be Anthony. Anthony: priceless, inestimable worth.
3. He is also called Bud, because he is my bud.
4. I am glad he would ask me to catch ball with him in the backyard, I should have done it more.
5. Between about 9 months and age 2 he rode on the back of my bike all over Escondido. I was so excited to get a baby seat for a bicycle. We would go the park, bank, store; anywhere my bike would take me. I crashed once when he was under 1 and felt so bad but grateful he was wearing a little bike helmet for toddlers.
6. When he was around 4 he wanted to ride his little trike up and down the street and he wanted to wear a helmet so he made himself one out of a sand bucket and would wear it all the time.
7. I remember vividly the summer he was 16 and drove off to debate camp in St. George for two weeks. When Anthony left I would look down to see his eyes when we talked, when he came home I had to look up to see his eyes.
8. I spent 2 ½ weeks with him at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City the summer he was 10. We went to the emergency room on July 4 and he had pneumonia. He was so weak and sick. The doctors ended up having to scrape the jell from the lining of his lungs doing an operation. I only left him every other night when Craig would spend the night with him so I could go home and shower and sleep in a regular bed. I would be back up by 8 the next morning. It was a very long two weeks and I was so excited when he got to come home.
9. Aimee and Anthony are best friends especially since they have been at college together. I am so grateful that he has been with her the whole time she has been at BYU.
10. At age 4,Anthony was so excited when he knew he was going to have a baby sister. He had wanted a long time, he would always kiss her and hold her. But one particular long day, when I had said to him way too many times “Not now, Aimee needs me”, he said “ I thought I wanted a baby sister, but I didn't.”
11. We moved into our first home in Escondido the day Anthony was born, what a day to celebrate. My mother in law unpacked our belongings because I was still at the hospital with him.
12. We moved into our second home in El Cajon when he was two and shortly after moving there, San Diego experienced an earthquake that really shook the house. He urged me to take him out of the house and refused to go back into that shaky home.
13. When he received his mission call to Bulgaria, I did not even know that was a country and where it was. He wrote home every week and for the longest time 3 letters one for each of us in the family until Craig told him he could write one letter home. As far as we knew the whole time he was on his mission he got along with every companion because he never complained about any of them.
14. I am thrilled that he has a memory like his Grandpa Brinkman, very sharp and lasting. When his Grandpa Brinkman visited us in Escondido, Anthony was his joy and they had so much fun playing together.
15. He would not comb his hair to go to high school and would wake up 5 minutes before the bus came, throw on clothes and a hat to wear all day.
16. Anthony is very patient and understanding and can discuss anything with anyone no matter their age or status.
17. He is a very talented writer and poet.
18. Anthony married the best young lady for him, and Jana and him compliment each other immensely. I am so thankful they are together.

19. Our family would often go on Saturday day adventures, Anthony would whine and try to get out of going. We often bribed him to come with us. He usually enjoyed the adventure once he came. One was a hike to overlook the Salt Lake Valley, it was harder and longer than we thought and Aimee got tired so he helped to carry her.
20. He has never hesitated to hug or kiss me and tell me he loves me.
21. I helped teach him to drive in a stick shift on hills, mostly by giving him practice time. It was crazy. He bought his first truck from us and sold it and his X-box to help pay for his mission.
22. During a very amazing experience of being lost for 3 days in Dark Canyon with four other 14 year old boys, he drew very close to them and our Heavenly Father and knows he can trust Him to take care of him.
23. He is extremely intelligent.
24. I learn from his choices and experiences regularly.

25. His is one of my greatest blessings.

Everything but the kitchen sink

It is my philosophy that every kitchen sink should have a window view. Washing dishes is so much a daily event it needs a view to enjoy . Every home that I have lived in but one had a window view. The view there was a wall, a blank wall that I decorated with a few homey items to improve it but I spent a few years there missing the events outside. I know the reason it was built that way was to save money on plumbing because it shared a wall with the bathroom but it really missed its purpose.Some of my favorite views were from my childhood home, Craig and my first apartment together in Provo, Utah, Anthony and Aimee's 2nd childhood home in Taylorsville, Utah and our current home. That really only leaves 3 or 4 homes off the list.

I grew up without a dishwasher, or at least I should say an appliance that washes dishes. I don't remember how old I was when enlisted to be a family dishwasher, but I do remember using a stool to step up to the sink. Our window looked right out into our backyard where I envisioned the next adventure I was going to have outside. In the winter time it was ice skating on the homemade pond created by my parents. They shoveled the snow to make a thin covering and a berm around the rink. Nightly they would fill the rink with water to freeze a new layer for the ice skate rink. I don't know how many nights it took to prepare or how long they were outside freezing but it was a lot of fun ice skating in your own private rink. During the summer, I would climb our weeping willow as high as possible with my favorite book hoping I would not be discovered so I could solve that mystery or visit a new country. Spring would bring flowers budding, robins and their nest building. Fall would bring leaves changing and falling and geese flying south for the winter.

Most often my sister, Katherine was my washing, rinsing or drying partner. Usually we would share thoughts but occasionally dish washing turned into an all out war. Once we even fought over a knife which I left a permanent scar on her finger from slicing it open. I not sure why Mom and Dad continued to have us do the dishes together when we fought but I know when Katherine went away to college I missed her. Sundays was our day off from the dishes because my Dad cleaned them. His thoughts were Sunday was a day to rest from our daily labors and since the dishes were our daily chore, he allowed us this day of rest. Eventually we helped him with drying and putting away and getting to know our Dad. Dad always wanted the dishes dried and put away right after washing. Today, I firmly believe in air drying, it saves on dish towels and my time; and I will admit there is some laziness in there too.

Craig and I lived on 9th Avenue in Provo when we were first married. Our apartment was on the 3rd floor facing north. We could see right up the street and the Wasatch Mountains of Utah County. It was beautiful to see the mountainsides turn to red, yellow and orange in the fall and green again in the spring. In the summer, we watched many a lightning storm fill the sky and count the seconds between it and the thunder to see how close. It was amazing and peaceful at the same time to see this wonder. I think my favorite part was sharing the daily chore of dish washing with my future. Craig and I would do it together and talk about the life we had planned ahead with all our hopes, dreams and desires.

Our home on Sweet Basil South in Taylorsville had a kitchen sink that faced north again and my neighbor's backyard. There their two dogs lived and with our two border collies, Jewel and Natasha would run back and forth along the fence line barking at each other and carving a path in the grass. But it also overlooked our side yard with numerous trees. Trees that were used for a bird's home or a tree swing. Craig climbed with the help of a ladder as high as he could on the strongest tree and attached a rope with a small log that became a children's favorite pastime. The yard was sloped toward the street so when pushed east you were really flying. Anthony and Aimee's friends and cousins loved to visit so Uncle Craig could give them a swing. Craig loved to see how high he could help them fly, but he was always sensitive to those who were a little more timid and just wanted a gentle push.

The Sweet Basil home had no automatic dish washer, so again it fell to the children to complete this daily chore. Occasionally they worked together but usually it fell to my helping them with washing and they rinsed. We discussed school, church, books, friends, aspirations and dreams. Here I discovered Anthony wanted to be a Navy Seal or a Pro Football player when he grew up and Aimee wanted to be a Mommy or a nurse or a teacher. One April Fool's morning, I turned the water on and receiving a soaking after Anthony had set the faucet to spray everywhere, the silly thing is he caught me twice with his prank.

Our Fallbrook home has an automatic dish washer, it broke down shortly after moving in and we have never fixed it. Always meant to but for several reason the money was never prioritized for this. Today we have so few dishes with only Craig and I at home, they only need to be washed once a day. The kitchen sink window overlooks our backyard and usually the first thing I see is Natasha greeting me from the patio hoping I will come out and scratch or play with her. When we moved in the backyard was mostly dirt and bare of plants. We have since planted the hillside with lavender, rosemary, ice plants, gazanias and Mexican sage and they are filling in. There is also a magnolia tree and flowering plum to add color and interest. Last summer for my birthday, Craig and Aimee bought me grass seed and dirt, it was exactly what I wanted. This winter, Craig planted the grass and cared for it daily and I now have green grass to look at, with a couple of dog worn paths. We have put out several bird feeders and a bird bath. I enjoy watching finches, sparrows, blue jays and others I don't know the name of, feed and splash in the water. It amazes me that the feeders can remain bare for several days, even weeks, but once they are refilled the birds appear, gathering more and more each day. The feeders invite squirrels and rabbits too, hopping in under the fence for a free meal. A couple of times I have spotted a coyote eyeing Natasha, but they run off when they see a human.


Now I wash and Craig rinses as we enjoy the view together. We talk again about our aspirations, dreams and future. The kitchen sink and window together give a view of hope.
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For ye are our glory and joy

21 students came to the freshman seminary class today, 21 out of 25 names on the class roll. Where are the other 4, 1 was sick and 3 have decided seminary is not their thing. I have not given up on the 3, I say hello and give them hugs when I see them. Today I rejoice in the 21 that came.

March Madness, a crazy mixed up game of team competition I play with my class every March to break up the monotonous of seminary that drags because of a lack of breaks, is fun - my class is enjoying it. One challenge is to recite a scripture mastery - teacher's choice. Matthew 5 was pulled out of the hat and McKenna and Cannon recited it word for word supporting each other. I find joy in their support and their remembrance.

Romans is located first in the New Testament of the Pauline Epistles, 1 Thessalonians was written first chronologically. The thought occurred to me to teach the scriptures in order of when written but dismissed it initially. I studied Romans for Tuesday's lesson but just could not bring it together. During prayer meeting, Sister Bushnell mentioned she was going to teach the Pauline Epistles in chronological order - this gave me the courage to do the same. Last night while studying 1 Thessalonians I felt the scriptures came alive and understood. The stupor of thought was no more and enlightenment came. I glory in the spirit teaching me.

Today in class we discussed being "an ensample to all" that our "faith to God-ward spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing." Illustrating was the method of teaching on showing examples we can be as encouraged by Paul. The students used their creativity and were eager to "show off" their pictures and learning. I felt joyful as each one shared.

I have a sign up chart for spiritually thoughts given by the students during morning devotional. It has disappeared off the wall. The past two days I have asked for a class volunteer to give the next day's thought. Flor and Isle have shot their hands into the air each morning ready to participate. I glory in their desire to contribute.

Part of the March Madness team competition is giving 50 points per person who is on time. Today there were 10 people early to seminary. 10 teenagers to the church building in their seats before 6:20 a.m. "For ye are our glory and joy"