You're what????? Going to China?!

For all you cousins out there that doesn't know her,…..let me introduce you to Stephanie Lynn Hess. She is the oldest grandchild of Clyde and Nadine Spencer, the oldest daughter of Steven Hess and Cheryl Young. She was my first niece and the one out of two of my nieces that I got to spoil a lot before going with my husband Dave in the Army. She is the one responsible for all the other nieces and nephews calling me “Aunt Nanna” besides herself. So for all those out there that thought Grandmas were the only ones called Nanna, it just isn’t true! One of the good things about my “Nanna” name (that means the world to me, by the way) is that there are a lot of Nanna greeting cards out there that I got a few of over the years. Anyway, I’d like for you all to get to know a little bit about Stephanie and what she is going to be doing for at least the next year.

In 1991-1993 she went on an LDS mission to Finland. I don’t know how many of you know this, but I heard at the time she went that Finnish is one of the harder languages to learn. But she did it and could speak beautiful Finnish. I was so impressed with the way she spoke it. She sent a tape home during her mission where she was giving a talk in sacrament meeting in the Finnish language. I did not have a clue of what she was talking about, but it gave me goose bumps when I heard it! The words she was speaking just flowed out of her mouth perfectly (what ever they were) and even though we back home couldn’t understand it, you can bet that everybody in sacrament meeting that day could.

After coming home from her mission she was invited back to Finland to help a young family out whose mother had a virus that attacked her neck and head and was doing very poorly. She went there to help the family while the wife and mother got better. She was there for three months during the summer of 1994 before returning back home to Utah. You would have thought that would be it for Finland, right???? WRONG! She returned to Finland in December of 1995 and taught English through March when she decided to continue her education while over there. She earned a Bachelors Degree in English Literature and a Masters Degree in English Linguistics. She returned home again in 1998.

She can now speak at least five different languages other than English. She speaks Finnish (of course), along with Russian, Swedish, German and some Latin. Also she knows some sign language.

She moved to Alabama a while ago and bought a home in Fayette. She thought that moving to a lower altitude may help with her very bad headaches she still gets that were the result of a couple of rear end collisions. She said that the headaches aren‘t as bad but she has other health issues she is dealing with because of the accidents.

Wanting to try something new and different just recently, she was browsing the Education Website and saw a teaching position available that she was very much interested in and therefore submitted her resume. And now the BIG news folks! (if you didn't catch it in the title of this post). Stephanie has accepted a teaching position in Shanghai, China teaching fourth grade to Foreign National students that will primarily be Korean, Japanese and some American children. She is not new to teaching and besides teaching in Finland, she has also taught in Utah, California and Alabama. She submitted her resume which was very appealing to the folks at the Livingston-American School, which is a very large school in Shanghai. Stephanie said if you were interested in checking the school out, just GOOGLE the name and you’ll be able to see where she will be teaching for at least the next school year. Who knows, maybe we’ll be able to go to the website and see a picture of her as one of the newest staff members in a couple of months. The curriculum of the school is based on the California school system and the focus at this school is Language Arts. She will be in China during the Olympics, however Beijing is about 3 hours away from Shanghai.

While in China teaching, she will not only celebrate the American holidays but also the Chinese national holidays. She mentioned she will have a three week holiday for Christmas and a one week holiday for the Chinese New Year among others. Stephanie said that she’ll take that free time she will have off and travel the country. She said China is the number one place on her list of “places she wanted to go” along with Egypt and Greece. She has been somewhat of a “world traveler” in the past. She has been to France (after graduating from high school) along with Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Estonia and of course Finland. WOW! The only foreign countries her Aunt Nanna has been in is Canada and for a brief five minutes in to Mexico and after a quick “U” turn, right back out again. I did get to go on an eastern Carribean cruise, so I guess that counts too. But am I jealous at all Stephanie? You bet I am! Dave has been to Korea and England, so I got to see lots of pictures from those countries, but it just isn’t quite the same. Stephanie said being exposed to different cultures and ways of doing things gives people wonderful experiences and opportunities that they may never have a chance to enjoy and that going to China will probably be a once in a lifetime opportunity for her.

Stephanie plans on leaving Utah around the 5th or 6th of August, heading to San Francisco and will be leaving from there to fly to Shanghai, getting there around the 11th. She will start out with a week of school preparations the 14th and says school will start around the 23rd. The school will be providing her a place to live (apartment) which will be close to the school and is very excited to go and even happier they are paying for her travels there to a country she has been wanting to see for a long time.

We want to wish you the best while doing your “once in a lifetime” travels to China Stephanie. I have no doubt you will be a wonderful teacher to these students. (And oh,….by the way, I don’t want to see a bunch of red check marks on my post after you read this and say,…..“oh Aunt Nanna, did you not learn anything in any of your English classes during your years in school?”).

Seriously Steph, we are very proud of you (and a little bit worried too, I might add) but we know that this is going to be just one more great opportunity for you. So be happy and do us proud! Stay safe,…….your Aunt Nanna loves you along with your parents, sisters and all the rest of your family. We expect a lot of pictures and information while you are over there.

Love you!
Janette

Congratulations to Joey!

Wanted to do a quick post and congratulate Joey (Ashley's hubby) on his Associates of Science Degree as a Pharmacy Technician. He and his folks will be on their way on Thursday with the houshold items to St. George and Ashley is on her way right now with her car loaded along with the dog and kitten. She has been coming back and forth for the last month and a half to get things packed and ready to go and for Joey's graduation this past Friday. We are certainly going to miss having them close by, but it's only a four hour or so drive, and as long as Nathan works for the airlines and we have benefits to fly, it's only an hour away. Eventually, Joey hopes to get a degree as a Pharmacist and his goal down the road is to have a specialty in Nuclear Pharmacuticals. He does plan on starting school to get his Pharmacist degree in the near future once they get somewhat settled. I am very proud of both of them!

39 Years of what??? Marriage!

The Art Of A Good Marriage
Wilferd Arlan Peterson

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage must be created.

In marriage the little things are the big things.

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you"

at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;

The courtship should not end with the honeymoon,

it should continue through the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude

of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and

demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience,

understanding and a sense of humor.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is establishing a relationship in which

the independence is equal,

dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner,

it is being the right partner.

Well, yesterday the 18th of July Dave and I celebrated our 39th wedding aniversary. WOW! I would say that is a milestone! Especially in these days and times. It just doesn't seem like it has been that long. So many changes througout our married life has occured! Him graduating from college and going straight in to the Army afterwards was an experience of a lifetime. We moved away from home and saw many parts of the United States together. We were two explorers out there in this very big world all alone, just the two of us. I had one very little problem however and that was being homesick,....ALOT! I missed my mom and dad and was very lonesome for my sisters and my two nieces at the time. I missed my grandmother and Dave's family that lived here. It was the start of a whole new life.
We dated for four years before we did get married. I was a junior at Davis High and he was a sophmore and in my Algebra class when we met. He was a HUNK! He had beautiful blue eyes which was what caught my attention to him. He was active in all the sports. He was in track, football and wrestling. By the end of that year in Algebra, we were sitting next to each in class, along with two other couples. We were one of the two couples that eventually got married. That was two years after my high school graduation. When we first became a 'couple', he didn't have his driver's license. His sister Sue would bring him over to my house and we would spend time playing tennis up at the high school and going for walks. We talked alot about everything. His family had just moved from Pennsylvania. It was a big change for him and his sister, but they eventually became very fond of Utah. We had a lot of fun together, and I became good friends with Sue at the same time. We were married in 1969, after his first year in college. I had attended a one year business college the year after I graduated from high school. Once he graduated from the U of U, we spent almost 12 years of him being in the Army. During that time we had our three children. When Ashley was a year old, we moved up to Kemmerer, WY and stayed there for 15 years. He became the Sgt. of the Kemmerer Police Department but eventually we decided to make a career change. We were very anxious to get back to Utah, so in Janurary 2000 he started out as a Training Lieutenant, later becoming the Program Officer at a correctional facility. When the state closed the facility, he worked for Weber County Sheriff's Dept., then Salt Lake Sheriff's Dept. as Corrections Officer. During the time between the correctional facility and working for Weber and SL County, he had applied for other jobs. He was selected in a Federal position with the US Attorney's Office. That was a term position that was to last four years. Towards the end of the four years he applied for a position with ATF (Alcohol, Tabacco and Firearms) as an Investigator. He's been with them since August of 2005. I have been working for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs in Human Resources ever since we moved down from Wyoming. It's hard to believe we have been back for over eight years.

I feel we are each other's best friend, confidant, teacher, listener and yes,....even critic. It has been said that "Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life. When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill".

I'm not going to say marriage has been one of the easiest things we live through and it takes a lot of work to succeed in it, but I can say that being together for all these years and growing older with one another, sharing feelings, experiencing new and different places, raising three children together, enjoying one beautiful grand-daughter and life with all its ups and downs,.....we have made it through and have experienced some of the best times of our lives with one another. So, here's to many, many more years! I love ya' Dave!

Kung Fu Panda

Just a quick post. A few weeks ago, Ashley and I took Diana to see the movie, Kung Fu Panda. She really enjoyed it and so did the two of us! This is a picture I took of Diana in front of the huge sign after the movie. That same afternoon, Ashley and Joey took Diana fishing over to the Kaysville Pond. She did get a bite, a BIG one, with her "Barbie" fishing pole Uncle Nathan bought her for her 7th birthday, but couldn't get the fish in before it broke the line trying to get it through all the willows and stuff. Does that sound like a Grandpa Clyde fish story, or what?

More Stuff from Nettie

Greetings! Well, it looks like it had been a couple of weeks since my last blog so I just posted more pictures from the Boston trip that I said I was going to do since I was having a hard time with the camera card on Ashley's computer. She had just moved from the condo the hospital provided for her for the month of June to the leased home her and Joey will be living in. All she has down there right now is the bed that is in the guest bedroom and a love seat she got delivered from RC Willey’s in Las Vegas that matches her couch she will be moving down next weekend. She has her computer and a smaller television to keep her occupied when she is not at work or sleeping. The house is in a little community type setting that is sort of like living in a condo. Every Thursday they have a team of grounds keepers that come in and mow the lawns and there is a swimming pool right across the street to the side of the house. She has been making regular trips home since starting work down there to pack a few things up to get ready for the big move. It’s kind of sad because I don’t know how often they will get to come home once Joey is down there and starts working. He graduates as a Pharmacy Tech next Friday night, and is hoping to get a job in that field when he gets down there. In the mean time he is working at a Chevron down in the Magna area and will be transferring to one of the Chevron’s down in St. George. We hope for the best for him. He’s got a few irons in the fire and will be putting more resume’s out there when he get’s down south.

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Chris, Laura and Diana came over along with Ashley and Joey. Dave’s sister, his mother and Pamela (she is Nathan’s “soon to be” we hope). Nathan had to work, so it didn't stop the rest us from having fun. We had a bar-b-q here at the house and then watched the fireworks put on over at Davis High from our front yard. Earlier that day we had gone up to Logan for the car show they have up there every year. Loved some of the cars,....even picked out some favorites. Here's one of them, a 1951 Ford. Other than that, its been work work work for both. Dave had a jaunt up to Montana all last week with his job at ATF. He had seven assignments around the Great Falls area and Billings with places in between. On Friday night Nathan booked me on a flight to Billings because Dave felt more comfortable with me driving home with him. I was to keep him alert. He did ok going up because he broke the trip up by stopping in Lima, MT for a visit with Steve. We came home a different way. Saturday morning we got up and headed to Livingston, MT which is the town you go through to go in to the North gate of Yellowstone. Pictured to the left is the arch that leads in to the entrance of the park. President Theodore Rosevelt was responsible for getting the arch up and dedicated. We stopped at Ft. Yellowstone which use to be an Army post. Back in 1912, President Taft made a recommendation that the National Parks service be formed. In August of 1916 the National Park Service Act was signed, then in 1918 the National Parks assumed full administrative responsibilities. Fort Yellowstone was transferred to the new civilian agency. The soldiers of Fort Yellowstone were relieved of their military status and became the first park rangers with the National Parks Service. I am attaching the photo of the soldiers in this blog. It was quite interesting. Also is a picture of the two of us on the steps of the Yellowstone National Park Post Post Office. When leaving there we drove down to Mammoth Hot Springs. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. Mammoth has done and dried up, atleast for what you can see from the road. There is a trail still that does go up to some hot springs, which we didn’t do because of time, but if I remember correctly from seeing the area in August of 1969 (our honeymoon) there was all kinds of colors and sulfur water running down the face of Mammoth. I’m going to have to get our pictures out so I know for sure that I know what I am talking about. After leaving there we drove down to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We saw just about every kind of wildlife there is to see in Yellowstone. We saw three bears total, the one here is to the right of the pine tree in the middle. Also a big beautiful magnificent six point elk. We saw Moose, a cow Elk with baby and Buffalo and Antelope. We stopped shortly to see the upper falls and then headed down the road and decided to go right (Whitey,..in case you don't know, that is "my" direction when sitting in the passenger seat of your vehicle) instead of left ("your" direction) to go up to see Old Faithful. We stayed there to see the eruption then started heading down to the south gate and in to Jackson. It’s always wonderful to see the Grand Tetons and also the “Sleeping Indian” mountain to the left of the Jackson Airport. Didn’t get a picture of that this trip however. We stopped in Jackson for about an hour then headed down to Alpine Junction where we stayed the night. I don't know how many of you are familiar with Alpine Junction, but one of the old hotels there is of German architect. This is me in front of it this morning as we were getting ready to leave for home. It was a lot of fun! We enjoyed the beautiful scenery all the way from Billings to Livingston, through the park til' we pulled in to our driveway here at home. It was wonderful to not have to go in to the office this weekend.

Just a few more pictures from Boston trip

Hi everybody, I wanted to share a few more pictures because when I did the last blog I was having a hard time getting Ashley's computer to read from the camera card. I think this will work! The first picture is of Dottie and myself. I worked with Dottie in the office at the Officer's Club. She did a really good job of trying to keep me from being so homesick while we were at Ft. Devens. She helped me get through my pregnancy with Christopher and then with Nathan. Her and her husband Art babysat Chris when I went to the hospital to have Nathan. Her kids loved having Chris at their house to play with while he was there. Art passed away in 2002 after suffering with a spinal cord stroke 11 years prior. Dottie took care of him all those years, which was getting to be pretty hard on her. She has done well however and now has a new guy in her life. The next picture of is of the church that our Branch met in, in the same town Dottie lived in,....Leominister. It belonged to another religion but they allowed the LDS to meet there. This is the church that Christopher and Nathan were blessed in. It's kind of a cool looking building, isn't it? There is a lot more to the building than what you can see here. Next picture is of the Nashua River which runs through the same town just down the road a short distance from the church. The next two pictures are of the hospitals the boys were born in. Christopher was born at the Cutler Army Hospital on post. They have rebuilt the front of it and it is now the Federal Medical Facility which is used for the prisoners in the prison that sits up at the side of the medical building. Nathan was born in Concord, MA at the Emerson Hospital. As you all know, Concord is a well known town that sits next to Lexington which is where the "first shot heard round the world" was shot to start the Revolutionary war. The whole New England area is full of H I S T O R Y, which is one of Dave's loves. The next picture will be of the commuter rail we rode a couple of times from Boston to Fitchburg the night we got there, then from Leominister to Boston the next day when we went to sight see. Notice the colors. Nothing like our Red, White and Blue "Front Runner" which is our new commuter rail that runs from Salt Lake City to Ogden. The last picture I'm going to share for this trip is coming in to Boston on the train. We took lots of pictures, but since we were only there for two days, we didn't get to every where we wanted to. Oh well, hopefully we'll get to go back some day. I would like the boys to see the New England area since they were born there. That's it folks. I already showed you a few pictures with the previous blog. Hope you enjoyed these. Not real exciting pictures but like I said,....maybe someday we'll get back there and be able to stay a little longer and get even better pictures. Bye for now!