September 15 1984

Me with new baby, David, Jessica & nurse Marva.
I was very touched when I saw the first post on September 15th on Facebook from Chris sending love to his sister, Jessica. His post was followed by Ben, Angela, Josh and David. Loving siblings that remember her for the short time she was on earth. Somethings we don't talk about too much. It's too painful. And I don't often visit her little grave in Newport Beach because the feeling of loss sweeps back over me. How I wish Jessica could have grown up with her four brothers and sister, and they could have joked around at the dinner table, attended each others games and activities. She knows them, and watches over them. I can feel her presence at times, and I know she loves this family. Things happen that we can't always explain. That's why, when asked how many children I have I say "six." Five living, one watching over us. Thank you kids for remembering you sister. She would have been 27 last week. It's always amazing to me that every year when September 15th rolls around, no matter how busy I am, my thoughts turn to that beautiful dark haired, brown eyed beautiful girl, and the love I felt for her, and still do. One day we will all be together again - an eternal family. I'm thankful for that knowledge. With the gospel, that knowledge of eternal life and "families are forever" brings comfort. 

Go Team Burgess!

Utes - Ben & Oliver & Jane

 There's definitely a mix of Utah and BYU fans in the family. Personally, I think it's fun. But watching this BYU and Utah football game right now, I'm seeing that this rivalry rivals that of Duke/North Carolina.Wow! Reading all of the Facebook posts brought that rivalry into vivid focus. 

Cougars - Cooper & Adelaide, Nolan & Calvin

I think back to when Angela was playing basketball and attending BYU and Chris was playing basketball and attending the University of Utah, Angela was cheering 
for both sides and wasn't really sure what color to wear - Cougar blue or Ute red. It was funny. I always root for whatever team my kids are playing for, which irritates my children. They think I need to support everyone.

Chris at Duke

Chris University of Utah

David at Gonzaga

When Chris played his first two years at Duke, I bought out the Duke bookstore of t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, etc. I even sent my Starlight leaders Duke shirts. I know...little compulsive. But, that's the way I roll, and besides the bookstore told me that Christian Laitner's mom bought way more!  When  Chris left and went to Utah, I eBay'd most of the Duke items. Then the missionaries that were living with us for two years took whatever Duke stuff that was left in the closet. And when David was signed with Gonzaga, I wore that cool Gonzaga sweatshirt with pride. When he left, I don't remember where that sweatshirt went. (Did I burn it?)


Ben's home team, so to speak, is split down the middle with Cooper having graduated from BYU and Ben from Utah. I love the above pictures taken a couple of years ago. I know Ben's love for Utah is more visibly seen than Cooper's love for BYU because his Utah flag flies outside is door (in Penn State territory mind you) all season. He even (I'm told) dresses in Utah red every game day. So, whenever I can find a polo or t-shirt in red, I send it his way. Gotta keep his Utah wardrobe fresh and new!

Siri & Chamberlain 2011

So,as I'm watching these two teams play this evening, I'm thinking about Angela at the BYU basketball game cheering for Chris who was playing for Utah, and cute Chamberlain (Josh' son) living, breathing and wearing only Cougar blue. Cute memory - when Chamberlain was staying here with grandma and grandpa, he would sleep with a Cougar blanket in a little tent in my office. I was tucking him in one night and he said, "so grandma...are you going to start rooting for the Cougs or Ute's? I hate the Ute's grandma!" That question and comment made me smile. As Utah was killing BYU last night (I'm finishing up this blog today following the game), Chamberlain said to his mom, "mom...they need Jimmer!"


Memories are part of growing older. With kids gone I'm trying to write things down and create a life history. Many memories with the kids were intertwined with basketball and music. Memories go back to my attending Duke / North Carolina basketball games where the fans were going nuts on each other, but the players (off the courts, after the games were over) were all friends. Interesting. Then again, thinking back to when the kids were playing high school basketball, I chewed down more fingernails and stressed over every game - especially when there was an occasional air ball :-) Oh well. It's just a game, as they say, but when your kids (or grandkids in the future) are playing, mom (grandma) lives and breathes whatever team colors my babies (grand babies) are playing for! Bottom-line ...I'm a Burgess fan through and through!!!

Our Home is Too Quiet!

July 2011

Ken and I celebrate our 37th wedding anniversary this month, actually next week on September 24th. We are both busier at age 60 than we were at age 35! I'm swamped with rehearsals for our upcoming stake musical production called "Amanda's Search for Happiness", voice students and the Voyager business. And Ken is juggling the Voyager business - both corporately going to Vegas Monday - Friday, and the farms in El Salvador. But we do need to take time out next week to do something different and fun together. If I didn't have the rehearsal Saturday and choir (I'm directing) on Sunday, we would head over the Las Vegas and see a show or something, along with hitting the corporate Voyager offices to do last minute marketing planning. And it's a good thing we are so busy at this point and time in our lives because Empty Nest Syndrome would bury me. That brings me to my point of "Our Home is Too Quiet!"

"Lots of Ballplayers at the Burgess Home!"

Brookly, Madison, Jacquelynn on my back porch.

I spend a great deal of my day on Facebook because that's how I communicate the most effectively with my distributors from coast to coast. I actually friend anyone that looks like they are in Network Marketing. You just never know who might be interested in the business. And while on Facebook today I met a newly "friended" networking gal and started chatting about our families, and my immediate response to her question on how many children I 

had, grandchildren, etc. was to say that all five of my fabulous kids live out of California! Of course I mentioned "ballplayers" in the chatting - that's a given, but it was interesting that my gut, emotional response was that they all lived too far away and that I miss them day and night - everyday. I think having them all gone, especially with Angela moving to Orem, Utah suddenly and David leaving for Utah, there's an emptiness that no matter how busy we get here, it hits me...the home is too quiet!

Directing rehearsals "Amanda's Search for Happiness."

Chamberlain and Siri playing with my Cookie Monster toy.

Calvin dressed (for no reason) as Batman.

This morning, for example, as I was doing my usual morning rituals of drinking my eXfuze, then feeding the Coy fish, ducks, geese and turtles, then having my protein shake with a handful of supplements, then kitchen chores - emptied dishwasher, wiped off counters and sink - I looked around and said out loud, "the home is too quiet." Yes, the house is too quiet and it's too tidy and clean, there are no fingerprints anywhere, no kitchen floor spills, little toys lodged behind the couch, and I miss the mess that kids and grandchildren always bring when they are home or visiting. Where I used to always have Merribelle the housekeeper come once a week, I haven't needed her more than once a month. There's no one here to mess things up.

It's just a good thing that I'm beyond busy right now. 
I thank Heavenly Father for that. He keeps giving me projects and ways to grow and develop with business, students and church callings. If not, I'd be calling my kids all of the time to just chat. Their responses would probably be, "so what do you need mom?" Grandkids call ever so often. Madison called to tell me about her new school shoes, Adelaide to thank me for her birthday t-shirts, and Calvin called yesterday to say he missed me. I told him that we were coming there to PA for Thanksgiving. He was so excited that he didn't even cover the phone when he hollered out to everyone, "grandma and grandpa are coming for Thanksgiving!" He then told me to Skype him because he wanted to see me. So cute.

So, let's recap here...house is too tidy, too clean, too much food in the refrigerator (since I continue to buy bulk at Costco - who knows why), and definitely too quiet. Maybe I keep shopping in bulk because I'm hoping that my kids and grand kids will drop by unexpectedly. That is one mess I'd welcome anytime, any day. Our home is just too quiet!