Christmas inspiration

They are 81 and 77. They are beautiful, white-haired sisters who love each other. Spending Christmas with them was inspiring. The older sister, a widow, is recovering from some very devastating financial discoveries, not of her own doing. The younger sister and her husband came to her rescue, like a personal cavalry of sorts. While she couldn't restore her bank account, the younger sister did something even more incredible--she helped her sister laugh again. Watching these two sisters interact was magical. There was an unspoken communication happening between the two of them.They have that rare kind of friendship that only happens every now and again, where two people reconnect and immediately start off right where they ended--not with awkward chit-chat, but with heart-felt exchanges that were sometimes verbal and sometimes not. It happened in a glance or a nod, or a knowing smile. These sisters seemed to know when it was a good time to talk and when it was better to keep still. I was watching love at ts finest.

Biggest Loser

I admit it--I am a Biggest Loser addict. I have it set to record every Tuesday night. I save all the old shows and occasionally look back to see what the contestants looked like a few weeks earlier. My favorite contestant this season is Rudy. He's a gentle giant. He broke the Biggest Loser record for losing 100 pounds in the least amount of time. He's genuine, not a game player, just there to take care of the business of getting in shape. He's who I would want to be if I went on Biggest Loser.

My confession--I can't stop eating while I watch the show. It's horrible. I'm supposed to be inspired and motivated by these people, and instead I'm sitting in the Lazy Boy eating Oreos and crackers. I need Jillian to pop through my screen and shake me up!

I have a friend who says the world always weighs the same. So if one person looses 10 pounds, another will gain 10 pounds. This idea quite frankly scares me a bit. While my boy, Rudy, is shedding a hundred pounds, I'm cheering him on while I stuff my face. His loss is my gain. I'm doing my part to keep things in balance. I've got to get a grip on this!

OK, so I'm a proud grandma.

This is Juniper Walker. She's only 154 days old. She was a helpless little bundle when she arrived on Easter morning, April 12. Now she can sit up by herself and crawl across the living room "army" style. She eats some real-people food, and she can make anyone smile. Wouldn't it be something if we could continue to learn as quickly as we do when we're only 154 days old.

Vacationing with my boys.

I've seen Washington DC before, but never like I saw it this time. This time I saw it through the eyes of two of my grown up children. This time I was the one whining about how far we had to walk in the oppressive heat to eat at Good Stuff. I sat in the back of the car and entertained myself with the scenery. I listened to the tunes they picked at the volume they liked. Since I had no idea which way was what in this foreign land, I was happily content to let Dave lead me around from event to event. It's much more relaxing that way, at least for me. I highly recommend a vacation where even though you're the parent, you can act like you're not.

School is starting without me.

It's time for school to start. The last four Septembers, I was getting ready for school along with my kids. Packing up my green backpack with everything I'd need for the semester made me giddy with excitement. My kids teased me that I probably wouldn't need band-aids or aspirin, but I wanted to be prepared. They didn't know it, but I also had wet wipes and a mini stapler. I always packed a roll of mints to share with whomever I sat by, too. I printed my class schedule and practiced in my head the best route to each class. I usually sat on the left side of the room facing the professor. OK, I always sat there. Never in the very front, never in the very back--somewhere in the middle and always on the left.

I bought a new notebook at the beginning of all eight semesters. Each class had its own section. In the left margin, I made a list of books that were talked about in class that I wanted to read when I wasn't reading something required. In the right margin, I doodled when I was bored and drew pictures to help me remember the lecture. On the top right-hand corner of the page, I would occasionally jot down what I felt like that day or how the weather was outside. I love to look back through my notebooks.

My favorite class, Crime and Correction, was taught by Stephen Bahr. It was hands-on and I liked that. We visited the courts, the day reporting center, and the prison. We talked to real people who had made choices that changed their lives. Many of them were in the process of trying to get back on track. The statistics are very much against their victory. I cheer for them everyday.

OK, so I had two favorite classes. I loved Biology. We learned all about birds of North America, as well as bears and bats. I can identify 100 birds by sight and 25 by their song. The class was the craziest mix of learning I've ever experienced. Dr. Hall Black is passionate about teaching and his uncanny style helped me appreciate nature more than ever.

My least favorite class was a sociology theory class. It's a pretty dry subject anyway, and the Professor Monotone finished it off. I was never so glad to see a semester come to an end.

I am most proud of passing statistics while planning Lynzy's wedding and Christmas shopping.

I'm going to miss the first day of school.

I'm inspired by you.

I suppose most every parent is inspired by their sons and daughters. I was inspired just tonight as I dropped off my daughter Lynzy and her husband, Keith, at the back door of their third-of-a-house home on Center Street in Provo. I was dropping them off because they wanted to spend Sunday afternoon with us in Springville, but they didn't have enough gas in their car to make it to Springville and back. There they stood fumbling with their key in the dark. My mind, at supersonic speed, envisioned all the wonderful surprises that await Lynzy and Keith during the next fifty years. I am inspired by their dedication to each other, their zest for living every day to the fullest, their goals, and their gratitude for all they have.

I am inspired by my son, Dave. He's living in Washington, DC for the summer working as an intern for the National Defense University. His love for his job is inspiring. Our frequent calls are always full of his daily adventures. I'm inspired by his love for people and his willingness to go out of his way to make everyone a friend. I'm inspired by his courage to try something new and difficult. I'm inspired by his trust in God and his faith that his life is not really his own. He lives to serve his family and friends, and even those he doesn't know so well.

My oldest son, Dan, and his wife, Jenny, are inspiring. They have been married two years and they are working hard to make a beautiful life together. Jenny is in the middle of starting a cafe in downtown Provo that is testing the limits of her energy and Dan is helping his boss remodel a new and much bigger office space for The Painted Temple where he works. They are responsible, loyal, and dedicated. I'm also inspired by their parenting skills. They became parents on April 12 to little Juniper Nueva Walker, who has quickly become the most wonderful gift ever. Her smile melts me, her giggle is so happy I can't describe what it does to my insides when I hear it.

I'm inspired by Jesse. Just a couple of days ago Jesse's backpack was stolen by a man at Lagoon. He lost a lot of valuable things, but the thing he was the most sad to lose was his memory card which held a years worth of pictures of him and sweet Ali. I'm inspired by his willingness to value what is really important. I'll always been inspired by his gentle heart.

Jaden, my youngest is inspiring. His quiet nature causes me to have to listen and watch extra carefully so as not to miss out on what's going on in his head, but when I do, I'm so inspired by his kind heart and quiet passion. He's a friend to all because of his easy nature. He's never one to hog the lime light or demand attention. I'm inspired by his dedication to his goals--t's midnight and he just left to go running. I'm impressed by the way he watches and observes and then learns from what he sees and hears.

Most every human is inspiring if we're willing to watch for a moment.