Time to Exercise

Madison with Ab Rocker, Jacquelynn with Stretch Bar

Madison showing skills ... switchin' it up!

"So grandma, what is this for?" Jacquelynn and Madison wanted to know what these gadgets were in the toy closet next to my office. Of course, they are infomercial exercise devices that I haven't yet used. You see, they look a lot easier to use on TV - kinda like all of the simple exercise programs. So, after telling the girls what they were for and kind of showing them, they began their exercise program with my silly gadgets. But it got me to thinking. It's time I used at least these two items. Throughout the years the kids can tell you about all of the clothes hangers (Ken called them) I had gathered from late night infomercial watching. These "clothes hangers" were various exercise  bikes, rowers, pullers, twisters, butt blasters ... whatever. I, however still enjoy just walking briskly around the lake here in Irvine. It's gorgeous and when energized and out there doing at least 45 minutes, I feel much better. So, moral of story...I need to make a bigger commitment to exercise and getting into shape ... again.

LET THE DECORATING BEGIN!

Centerpiece Table

Left Mantle

Right Mantle

The Kitchen Bar

Angela's Girls matching Halloween dresses!

Chris' Girls in Similar matching dresses!

Trunk 'r Treat 2010 Angela's Girls

Ben's Jane

I love to decorate for the holidays starting with Halloween, Oct. 1st. This year I thought about not decorating until Christmas because all of the kids are gone, there are no trick 'r treat'rs (think everyone here is retired.) And the fun at this time of year has always been to go over to the church parking lot for "trunk 'r treat" with Angela's girls. With them now in Utah I was going to skip this crazy holiday all together. We even booked tickets to spend Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with Ben, Cooper and their family. When kids grow up and move on with their lives, it's different at holiday time. Ken, however, wanted me to decorate the house. He brought in the Halloween and Thanksgiving boxes and prodded me to get the house done. So after a day of boxes sitting in the house blocking our walking area, I decorated for both at the same time. So there are pilgrims, Indians, turkeys, cornucopia (glitzy) and also a bit of Halloween. I didn't take pictures of the tops of the tall cupboards and my office. Yes, I do go a little nutso with holiday decorating, but this is nothing compared to Christmas.  Now that it's decorated, I love it, my voice students love it, Ken, and the great news...Angela and Eddie are on their way here from Utah. So I have someone to enjoy it! 

Kitchen Cupboarfd

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!

Every 18 Months

Daughter, Angela and baby Sutton

Every 18 months a small team of us living here in the Irvine Stake organize, write, direct and cast a production that involves a bit of acting, tons of singing, and a dance or two. The committee is Robin Utley (stake music director), Linda Simmons (choreographer), myself and creative people to include Bret Simmons (pianist), and Jared Scott (tech). We have been permanently installed as this production committee. It all started in 2006 with Lights On Broadway 2006. I enlisted Cooper to create the name and logo, and because of my huge inventory of musical scores and backing tracks, we were able to create some exciting productions. It has been fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owReY1yNCV8
We have tried to mix it up a bit with a fun, light musical review-type program with spiritual - every other year. Our biggest production (expenses-wise) was the production from Salt Lake City, Utah called "Savior of the World." Our stake did an incredible job with an amazing piece. This production was the collaboration of talented Church Music Committee people and the Twelve Apostles. With their combined efforts, the production was spiritual for all involved, and many  lives were touched. I loved directing the 121 angel choir, and Angela sang the role of Mary Magdalene. Some nights I was so involved with listening to her sing that I almost forgot to bring the choir numbers in. I would tear up every night, especially when the birth of Christ was depicted and the angels were singing "Glory to God!" 

LOB 2008

This year we have been asked to take on the usual light, fun musical review-type production to start rehearsals September 10th. However, our assignment this time is to have some sort of theme -leaving the audience with an uplifting message. This has been a personal struggle because I was very much looking forward to doing another Lights On Broadway 2011. Definitely a labor of love due to having to coordinate everything from song selections to scripting with a team. Talented people definitely are strong with their opinions - in a good way because we are all members of the church - but that is the way with artists. It will still be a fun show, and friendships will be made, nerves frazzled, but what I will miss most is the chance to work side-by-side with Angela. Angela has always directed the youth - YM/YW. She has moved to Utah with her family. So those moments we had together in 2006 and 2008, and of course, Savior of the World, will be treasured and thought of often. I'm glad we recorded those two shows because it just won't be the same this year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfI6ii2janc&feature=grec_index

GROWING UP

Madison,  August 2011

I can't believe my granddaughter, Madison has just started 3rd grade. I was there with her birth, and it seems like yesterday. For that matter, it seems like yesterday when my own five children were starting school. I loved dressing them up, combing their hair, making their lunches, and getting all emotional when each of the five children started kindergarten. Those days flew by. Suddenly it was graduation from high school, then off to college, missions, marriage. Where did the time go? When I finally get a breather from work, voice students and church callings, I'm going to scan all of these pictures I have framed, in folders, Tupperware containers and scrapbooks, and create books for the kids. They need to see each other growing up - as I saw them. Perfect, beautiful spirits with different personalities all striving to be the best at everything they did. From singing to sports, they all shined. And I was the proudest mom in Irvine - that's for sure. 

Zoey (5) Kelli Jo (7) August, 2011

Zoey and Kelli Jo pictured here going to school in Utah for a month, while they await Beckham's passport, then they are off for another world-wide adventure to Poland. Kelli Jo has learned so many languages. Lesa told me that she was communicating beautifully with her school friends there in both Turkey and Poland. Kids are that way...so able to adapt and pick up languages - and for that matter, make friends so easily. We all need to learn something from that as adults. What? To adapt and be happy - no matter where we are.

I'm struggling here with placing my pictures, so I'll finish up and add a few more. My favorite is a picture with all of the grandkids this summer in Utah, July 2011. You can tell that I adore my grandkids and kids - and miss them terribly. I just may have to move back to Utah to be closer to them. Although... I hate winter weather. Love living here in California, or as my East Coast friends call it... La La Land. And, I think they are right. 

Chamberlain (5) August 2011 - ready for Kindergarten!

My fabulous 15 grandkids! Madison, Kelli Jo, Nolan, Adelaide, Oliver, Calvin, Chamberlain,
Brooklyn, Jane, Joshlyn, Ava,  Zoey, Jacquelynn, Sutton... (missing...Beckham now 2 weeks old)