Monday, May 26, 2008

Marolyn Taylor Frogley 1932-1995


My Grandma Frogley was the first person close to me that I lost, and thus, she is the one my thoughts turn to on Memorial Day. She passed away when I was thirteen which allowed me to have time to really know her as my grandma from a child's perspective. But I feel like she left before I got to know her from a more mature perspective, which means my image of her now is based on my childhood memories and stories that people have shared over the years.

She was a very beautiful person inside and out. She was tall and graceful. Her physical appearance was very slender, but she had a will stronger than I think anyone I've ever known. I remember her loving her soap opera, but my mother says that, although she had programs she loved, she never once sat down to just watch T.V. during the day. She was always doing something productive. She taught piano for thirty years and had up to as many as forty students which meant she taught after school every day and even Saturdays until two in the afternoon. Her musicality influenced every one of her children and has influenced my life very much. When my grandpa first started his business, grandma's teaching helped significantly. Grandpa says she had a weakness for chocolate. She would hide a box in her closet but still would not allow herself to have more than one a day.

She started walking in her forties to help her health stay strong, but walking wasn't enough. Eventually she began running. And running just a little bit turned into running marathons. I remember running being a big part of her life. She ran ten marathons before she died and always did well in her age division. She is my inspiration in my endeavors to run as well. Although I am not even close to the level at which she performed, I think of her often as I push through my hard runs or when I finish a race like the 24th of July 10k. She ran the 24th marathon quite a few times, and the finish line for me was very exciting because of that connection I felt with her.

Her running helped open doors to making close friends. Some of the strongest impressions I have of my grandma's house was lots of treats and soda pop for the grandkids to enjoy (my grandpa says he believes in buying a child's love with treats which really works by the way) but also of the door always being open and lots of people coming and going and always being welcome. Although she had an iron will, she had an understanding and compassionate heart that helped many people find a moments peace from their own troubles. I remember many people in her home but I have heard the stories as I've grown of the people she has befriended and supported through troubled times. She was a fiercely loyal friend to others and to her children as well.

One other small part of her life I remember is some modeling she would do. Like I said, she was a very beautiful person inside and out and was able to make some money because of it. Mostly I remember thinking it was weird when I would see pictures of her like the following where she would be with a kid who wasn't one of her grandkids, but the picture is trying to pretend that it's her grandkid. Or, when they would give her a different name or picture with a different man other than my grandpa.



Her picture is used in the movie "The Prodigal Son" that the church made almost 20 years ago. To this day, whenever I watch, it just seems weird when they refer to her as "Martha."

My grandma lived a good life that has blessed mine immensely. I am eternally grateful to her. I strongly believe that our family works very hard on our behalf beyond the veil and I have felt her influence many times over the years. I like to think of her as a guardian angel for me and now for my children as well. I look forward to the time when they can meet her face to face and we can spend time together again.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Our Cute Little Flower

Just after a bath. What a doll!


Thursday, May 22, 2008

Intelligent Faith, Disciple Scholar, are they oxymorons?

Here is a great talk I highly recommend. It's from Elder Bruce C. Hafen talking about scholarship vs. faith and our discipleship.

http://farms.byu.edu/Elder_Hafen_Mar_21_2008/

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Stroller!

I can't believe myself sometimes, but life would be boring if we didn't do crazy things. What's so crazy you ask? Oh, you won't believe it either. I went and splurged BIG TIME on a new double stroller. It's not just any double stroller. It is a Phil & Ted's Sport Buggy with a doubles kit (and the name requires the "&" symbol and not the word "and"). I saw a woman at the mall walking with one and thought that it looked like the most convenient stroller. I didn't know the brand name or anything. It was obviously a jogger, which I consider a real need right now because I have a goal to run the 5k on the forth of July celebrations and I need to do some major preparations now and Adam is working full time. I'm recruiting Adam to join me and then we can run as a family! This stroller also looked so great because it wasn't super wide like most jogger double strollers which makes it hard to deal with in crowds and places like the mall where you would have to maneuver through clothes racks.

A few days later, at the doctors office, while waiting and reading a magazine I saw an ad for this stroller in a baby magazine and that is when the coveting bug bit me. I thought to myself, in a perfect world where everything worked out perfectly and everything I owned was perfect, I would have this perfect stroller and it would have the perfect price of really cheap as opposed to really really expensive. Funny enough, a few days after that, my sister in law Suzanne posted on her blog a chance to win this fabulous stroller off of some website. Great minds do think alike Suzanne. However, I was not the lucky winner. Bummer.

Well, to make an already long story end short. I bought it on e-bay. I got it for only about $30 cheaper than you can buy it in stores, but that's still $30. I will say though, it was Adam who told me to go ahead and just buy it. We sold this bike trailer we had that doubled as a stroller that we never used because it couldn't support babies who can't sit up on their own. We also used other funds like money Adam got for his books and such to add to the cost.

We got the blue one like in this picture. When Lucy is older, she will sit in the lower seat while Caleb is in the upper. That lower seat can be removed and the stroller can also be a single.



Or, as is shown in this picture, the top seat can lay flat for an infant, and the removable seat can be placed on top of that one accommodating a toddler.





We have used it quite a few times already and it is wonderful... as perfect as I dreamed. Who knew so much excitement and satisfaction could come from something like a double stroller.

One Month

On May 10th, Lucy turned one month and is a smiler just like her older brother. Her dad can make her smile easier than anybody else.







We have bought a few bows because she is also following in Caleb's footsteps by going very bald very quickly only on top, imitating male patterned baldness. We don't want her to appear bald or like a male, so we cover. However, as of the last few days, her new hair is coming in very quickly and is much lighter than the hair with which she was born.








Other updates include that it is now officially hot and we can swim. Our niece, Jane, had her second birthday party today at Grandma and Grandpa Ellertson's pool. Unfortunately, Caleb came down with a sudden case of the runs and was therefore not permitted to go swimming and contaminate the pool. I don't know if any other locals remember last year but there was some serious problems with babies passing disease through their swim diapers in swimming pools. (gross) It was traumatic because he LOVES the water. A few weeks ago, Grandma Ellertson gave Caleb and Jane new swimming suits, each with their current obsession printed on the front. Jane got Ariel and Caleb got Nemo with the shark appearing on the shorts. Note how extremely long his swim trunks are, they are more like swim pants.