Happy Presidents Day Plus..February 2026

So fun to spend my birthday watching my youngest grandchild, Phoebe Carlston, perform so well at her gymnastics meet

While my Taiwanese English guests Vicky and Nitta prepared a Taiwanese dinner for me I took a walk & shared the path with a buck!

Birthday lunch with friends Ramona and Kathleen

Nan Hunter invited us to a delicious dinner with her grandson Ben and his wife Zizi

I took Vicky and Nitta to a fabulous jazz concert at BYU (singers, brass and rhythm ensembles)

and to the wonderful BYU symphony ...great concerto soloists on Marimba, piano, trombone, and voice

The Taiwan teenagers receive certificates for their 3 weeks in the US

The assistant and principal (left 2) of Shinmin school in Taiwan visit with UCAS principal, Vicky, Nitta, Jennifer (organizer of this experience) and school assistant 

With the Shinmin principal who came for a few days

Saying goodbye on February 13. They brought so many gifts, I think they left with lighter suitcases??

BYU dancers perform a great rendition of Romeo and Juliet ballet

Lunch at BYU with friend Semiramis from Ecuador patiently working and studying English at BYU to regain her teaching certificate

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Corvina-Milan have been exciting

Valentine's family dinner

Luke and Kelly Amsden, Penny and Emily

Simon, Andrew, Bella, Nick (who is excited to have just been accepted into the advertising program at BYU) and Hannah

We played charades, pictionary, Bananagrams

          New Beginnings: 2026, Lunar New Year, Ramadan... 

The above Provo Temple was torn down and a new one (Rock Canyon, rendering below) is being built on the site, which, after the SLC Temple, will be the second largest in the world to accommodate the Mission Training center missionaries, BYU students and local members. It will take a total of 4-7 years with the best materials from around the world (i.e. flooring and stone from Italy). A great presentation by the called missionary couple showed drawings of decor and the present complicated construction.

After the death of our beloved President and Prophet Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks (93), past BYU president, having served on Utah Supreme Court and in many Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints callings, Apostle since 1984, is our new and wonderful prophet. He gave his first touching and powerful address at BYU on Tuesday, February 9, 2026.

He shared four impressions that will draw us closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ: 

Strengthen our faith in Him

Increase our humility

Seek help from others

Be patient

For more info and for his address:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallin_H._Oaks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn_PsLrWyxM

The great message of the Gospel is that Jesus always offers us a new beginning. We can always change, improve, grow, be more loving, kinder, helpful, patient and understanding of others and with ourselves.

We are all works in progress, no one is perfect yet! Don't give up!!

With Presidents' Day we remember two great American Presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both were flawed, but with our other Founders foresaw the challenges of the future, set great precedents for the democracy that is now up to us all to preserve as we follow the guidelines of our inspired Constitution, a model for all nations. Let us do what we can to continue to be friends to the world.