2025- Week 47(Nov 17- Nov 23)

 Liz and I went to Colorado for Uncle Bob's funeral. We stayed in a hotel and stayed through the weekend so we could spend time with Kara. The service was beautiful. All of their kids had a part. It was fun to hear about his life and learn more about him. All of her kids were there and some of Michell's kids so we got to spend time at Tony and Joanne's house a few nights. That was so fun. They are all so amazing. There are some tensions between Kara and her kids over selling the house but everyone set them aside for the service. We went to Red Rocks Amphitheater one day and it is stunning. We drove to the temple one night. We also drove through downtown Littleton several times. Littleton is such a dog friendly town. There are signs in every shop that say dogs welcome. It is the cutest little old fashioned town. The rest of the time we just hung out at Kara's house. On the way home I got to talking with a lovely woman at the airport named Sandip. She is a professor at a university in Maine. Of course I looked her up when I got home and I think it would be so fun for our paths to cross again someday.

Eric Bengtzen and I taught the combined lesson for the youth about peacemaking. I told the story of Darryl Davis who is a musician that is best known for befriending members of the KKK and convincing them to leave the organization. I asked the kids if they were a Peacetaker, a Peacekeeper or a Peacemaker. We should be peacemakers and create peace rather than just keeping it. Eric took a different perspective and talked about being a peacemaker by gathering people in the gospel net. Some of his kids have struggled to feel included and fit in with the members of the gospel so he really wanted the kids to see things from that point of view. I think it all tied together perfectly.

2025- Week 46(Nov 10- Nov 16)

My Jesus Girls went to the Brandon Lake concert at the Maverick Center. It was so so so fun!! His music is so amazing and we had the best seats in the handicap section for Andrea's wheelchair. I love going to concerts where everyone there has one heart and one mind in Christ.

 It is the most uplifting experience you will ever have.

Joidee wanted to see her teacher picture on the Brighton website. It made us both sad. She worked so hard to become a teacher but only got to teach for a month.

Melinda, Mom and I hosted a bridal shower for Jenafae. She and Drake will be getting married in January. We made everything gluten free for her. Melinda made tshirts for the bride and Liz and Drake's mom. WE pitched in and got her a whole bunch of items she will need and then used them to play a Price is Right type of game. 

I was interviewed by the Utah Amateur Radio Club for their January newsletter. They wanted to interview women hams. I kind of felt like a fraud ha ha since I really don't do much with my license but the lady was desperate so I agreed. Here is what they wrote:

Amanda Shaw KK7TOF is a new member of UARC, having joined just as I was interviewing her. She's been exposed to amateur ra-dio all of her life. Her father George Hughes N7BMG has his Extra Class license and is very active. He wanted all of his children to get their amateur radio licenses, and insisted that they get their ham licenses before they got their drivers licenses. Amanda’s parents unfortunately divorced when she was 16, and her mother didn’t enforce on the same rule, so Amanda was able to dodge that bul-let. She also had other interests at that time, but the reason Aman-da eventually wanted to get her amateur radio license is because her father now lives in Kentucky and she wants to talk with him via ham radio.

Last year Amanda took a Technician Course from James Bennett KK7AVS. At the end of the class in May Amanda wanted to take the test, but she couldn't find an in-person exam session available at the time. So, she took the test remotely. The people who were giving her the test were in Washington state, where Stephen Hutchings WM7X administered the exam to her while 3 other hams were watching as Ves (volunteer examiners). They had to see the room she was in to make sure she 

was the only one in there.

Amanda took her test in the restroom, because it is the smallest room in the house, it was quiet, and there were no interruptions. The questions were shown on the screen, then she clicked the answer that she thought was correct. Amanda was so happy she passed the test. She's now working hard on getting her Gen-eral Class license so she can talk to her dad over the radio. She wanted to take James' General Course On Tuesday nights, but she has commitments with the Young Women in her church. I told her that she could talk with her dad right now on EchoLink, and she got excited about that.

Amanda bought a Baofeng radio and enjoys talking on it. Her Stake President wants member of her stake to get involved with radio communication for emergencies. Amanda really wants to get involved with emergency communication using amateur radio, but says there is still so much to learn.

Amanda is married to a good man named Jeff, and they have three children, two girls and one boy. She’s the only one in her family who is licensed. Jeff and her children are not interested at the moment, but are sup-portive. Amanda also has a part-time job at This Is the Place Monument. These things keep Amanda busy but she's going to do her best to get more active in amateur radio.

Amanda enjoys hiking and would like to get more involved in birding. Amanda, we wish you the best in all of your endeavors. Good luck on getting that General Class amateur radio class license!

73, Linda Reeder N7HVF

Our garage door opener stopped working so Jeff called our neighbor Paul to come look at it and see if he could tell us what was wrong- that turned into him completely replacing the opener. The internal cog was completely stripped so it was necessary. We never intended for him to do all that work but he insisted. He really is amazing and can fix anything. Several hours later we had a brand new and very quiet opener and the door works great. We gave him money to go to breakfast sometime but he wouldn't let us do much more than that. We are so grateful for him.

2025- Week 45(Nov 3- Nov 9)

Jeff and I went to Sienna Jenson's reception. Jeff had a meeting so we had to be quick but by the time we got there it was packed. Luckily we ran into the Haskells in the parking lot and they told us a back way to go in. We ran over and talked to BJ and Krista really quick and then grabbed food and headed out. They served nachos and tacos and churros. It was at the Studio in Draper. 

I grabbed a photo to send to Joidee.

I took care of Joidee three days this week. We went to PT one day and it reminded me of my days as a mother of toddlers and how long everything takes to get them ready, fed, to the bathroom, out the door and buckled into the car. While I was trying to find the perfect spot to pick her up I accidentally backed into the neighbors fence and broke a small sliver of wood off. I told Burke and he texted them and they were very cool about it but I felt so bad. Plus I want Burke to trust me to be with Joidee ha ha. She wasn't in the car when this happened thankfully. 

They worked her hard at PT and then we headed home. 

Emily Belle Freeman referenced a book her grandma gave her called Old Rose and Silver by Myrtle Reed. It was written in 1911. Of course I bought it and I am excited to read it. 

Helped mom with her bed sheets and then took her to the bank. Everyone at the bank knows her by name which is so cute. Burke used to work for a bank and he said they do special training on how to handle senior customers and that the reason they even still have many brick and mortar locations is for this demographic that like to do their banking in person. We grabbed lunch after and ate at her house.

Uncle Bob passed away on the 9th. He has been battling lung cancer for the last few years but he fell last week and broke his hip and just went downhill. It was out of the blue so pretty hard on his family, especially Kara. His funeral will be on the 20th. Liz and I plan to go.

Had all the kids home for dinner on Sunday.

2025- Week 44(Oct 27- Nov 2)

Burke had to take Joidee to an appointment so she didn't need me on Monday so I took Tara to lunch for her birthday instead. We got Thai food at Thai Better. I love the little happy fat sumo art  that looks like babies on the wall ha ha. It's so bright and cheerful. 

The church released a new tank top style garment earlier this year and we have all been waiting for it to come to Utah. The new fabric is thinner than Carinessa which I like better. It also has a new crotch design so I am hopeful they will be more comfortable. I didn't know they were released but Jenn sent me a photo of what she got and told me she stood in line for two hours. YIKES!  She let me buy a few of the pairs she wasn't going to keep and then I went there later in the day and got a pair of bottoms. Most things were sold out so it pays to have long legs.

Cherry has had several surgeries on her eye and face so I stopped by to see her. Buddy was crazy as always but finally did settle down after the first twenty minutes of being there.

I started a family challenge for November. I am calling it NO November where we try to say no to things that draw us away from Christ and yes to things that are better. I gave them a list of things they can do to earn points and Planksgiving is one of the things we will do as always. So far I think only Ashtyn and Whitney are participating. I plan to give the winner a cash prize. I will ask them to send me their points privately each week to keep track.

I wanted to do my orange chicken for Halloween but when it came down to it I was too tired so we got Panda Express instead. I put on Ashtyn's old Care Bear costume to answer the door in. This year I bought a box of regular sized candy bars and the Halloween Hostess Cupcakes. We surprisingly got about 15 trick or treaters which was so fun. While we waited Jeff and I watched the Resurrection of Gavin Stone. The movie that Dallas Jenkins made before he started the Chosen that totally bombed. The acting I will admit is not that great but the story is amazing. Hallie sent referenced the BYU Devotional he gave a while back where he talked about the movie and Jeff and I listened to it again and it made me want to buy it so I did. 

Malia put up an Ofrenda this year for Dia de los Muertos- Day of the Dead so for our treat at family dinner we made sugar skull cookies. Kenzie and I were wearing opposing shirts so we had to get a picture.