Early February 2008 Update

This week there was a big FIRST here in St. Louis for me: I ate at White Castle. Lisa had determined that she would never eat there based on someone's description of the food. She never was a Hamburger person, in fact, I can safely call her an anti-Hamburger at a fast-food establishment person. I was swayed in the same direction for my first 2 years and 5 months in St. Louis, but then curiosity got the best of me, as it so often does. I was on my way to a cleaning assignment at the temple from Columbia on Thursday, then realized I had to EAT! The next thing I knew, I was pulling up to the White Castle on Tesson Ferry. I knew it was an important moment, so I told the man next to me. He was so excited for me that he talked about White Castle for 3 minutes straight, and then my food arrived. I was a little worried, as he had mentioned in his monologue that it was definately an 'acquired taste'. What could there be about a hamburger that required getting used to before you liked it?


I took Tommy with me the next day while his brothers were at their Suzuki piano lessons. He didn't go for the burgers either, but liked dipping the chicken from his chicken burger into his chocolate shake. I took a phone video of the event, which was hilarious and cute, but unfortunately deleted it. He gives me the same level of entertainment as Parker and Scott: side-splitting.

This week Lisa and I took separate turns cleaning the St. louis temple. There was an internal flood 6 months ago that ruined much of the carpet. Dave Keetch and I couldn't believe the beautiful marble that has been laid in the entry as part of the renovation. I loved working with him, just as I did when we were on the Stake Young Men's together with Russ Osguthorpe (who moved back to Utah right before his dad became a G.A.).

Lisa and I both sang as part of ward conference, but not in the same number. She had a solo in a ward choir number that was absolutely beautiful. I felt like I did back at BYU when I was at one of her Women's Chorus concerts - i couldn't stop staring at her! She was beautiful in face and voice. She had a lot of compliments. I want to post one from her email:

Lisa,I really haven't gotten to talk with you personally and I'm embarrased to say, that I don't think I have even formally introduced myself, but I just wanted to say that I think you are doing a fabulous job as Relief Society President. I have only been able to be in Relief Society once since you have been called and have appreciated the times you have shared your testimony in other meetings. I admire your positive outlook and enthusiasm for the gospel and life. I can tell that you are full of kindness. You have already been such an example to me. Thank you for your willingness to serve and for your time and dedication. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Have a great week!Christin Maxfield

My Habits

I had a lot of fun reading the habits my sisters posted on their blogs. I haven't been 'tagged' to write 7 facts/habits about myself, but I'm sure that I am about to be, so here it goes:

1 - I spend much more imaging what life was, is, or will be like, than BEING in life in real time. In other words, I'm a big time dreamer, and have a great time channel surfing mentally. While this can be a liability if I start to spin a current perception into a distorted projection of the future, I usually know my tendency well enough, and the power of putting a positive spin on everything that comes through my mental processor, that I can usually make this habit into an asset. This leads to the second part of this habit/fact, which is that I love everything to do with the mind. I love affirmations, because I know they begin working the second that I repeat them (I recommend mythoughtcoach.com for affirmations, meditations, and guided workouts, which can also be downloaded as a podcast onto your ipod). I suppose it started when I was about 10 and my Dad hypnotized me deep enough for my hand to float up like I was underwater. I later learned that visualizing success for exams, or other challenges, put the mind to work in ways I could never have imagined, and still don't understand. As one of three orthodontist partners in a practice, I play the role of the HR department and practice psychologist/psychiatrist, and love it. More than anything, I am known as the champion of improving your weaknesses by asking for feedback and surrendering your pride for the team. Whew. I think that I could right a book about the stuff I've learned. My champion self-help gurus are Anthony Robbins with his "Personal Power" series of cassettes from the 80's, Daniel Goleman's 'Working with Emotional Intelligence', Covey's SON Steven M R Covey's 'Speed of Trust', 'Good to Great' by Jim Collins, Thich Nhat Hanh's Mindful Living: A Collection of Teachings on Love, Mindfulness, and Meditation. I use the Stresseraser (stresseraser.com), Yoga, and go on long distance runs. It's me. It's what I do. Someday I'll go on the Orthodontist circuit.

2 - My Meyer's-Briggs type is ENFP, a.k.a. "Champion", meaning I champion ideas - and just to demonstrate that fact, I also recommend "Please Understand Me", which is all about personality types. With my tendency to think out loud, I have to watch it or I tell someone more than they needed, or perhaps wanted to know. At work I asked my team members to give me visual cues or tactile cue if I start talking too much to a patient or parent.

3 - I am very visual. I like to have a pen in my hand when I want to describe something, because the drawing is an integral part of my explanation. I think I would have made a very good deaf person, because I respond so quickly to visual cues, and so slowly to sound cues, that it makes you wonder if I am partially deaf. I would say that it's actually more likely that I HEAR so MUCH that my ears get over-stimulated easily, while my eyes remain ready for the smallest cue. I do better talking face-to-face with someone, because I can pick up so much from their expressions, their posture, and so forth. Lisa learned early that she can signal for me to turn left or right by pointing. We have turned at places that she didn't want me to when she was simply pointing at something interesting out the window. My staff members can get me to their chair the fastest by giving the pair of gloves they are holding for me a little shake. The hearing part of me gets confused because it also hears everything I am saying after I think it, sometimes almost like an echo in a cell-phone, or like feedback from a sound system. I just hate it when the mic squeaks in my head. That's why I wish I could just speak in sign language when I have a lot I am processing. Part of the reason I know the hearing part of me is working well is the ease that I have with learning foreign language. I learn best by hearing it first, then learning how to write it, and not the reverse. If I learn how something is spelled before I hear it, I will often permanently learn the pronounciation wrong since I SEE the spelling in my head much stronger than I HEAR the way the word is said. Oh, and for another word from a sponsor, I recommend Pimsleur's Language Lessons for any foreign language that you really want to be able to speak and understand. I have only done German through this program, but have plans for French down the road. Japanese I learned on my mission to Hiroshima, and I learned Spanish in college, and from everyone in California that I could speak it with.

4 - Story telling. I love to tell stories to my kids, and anyone else who will listen. I spend much of my time inhibiting my creative side, biting my tongue because people just don't talk that way to eachother. I am fortunate to work with children as an orthodontist, where I am allowed quite a bit of uninhibited silly talk. I understand what is going on in Robin William's brain when he is going off in a million directions at once. I don't have his talent for expressing it, but I can think that way. It's an asset and a liability. It's me.

That's all for now, I need to sleep

Disney Vacation September 2007

We took two major road trips in 2007. Although they took us 2 days a piece, they were actually much more enjoyable than we have thought. The first one was to Utah in the Summer, where we stayed a week, and among other things, had family photos taken (since it is a RARE occasion that we are ALL in the same COUNTRY, let alone state).

It was our second time to Disneyworld, but this time we lived it up a bit more, and spent all of our late tax return. Although it rained several times, we made the most of it, and came away very refreshed and ready to face the winter (it was September). Our midway stopping point was in Marietta, Georgia, where we were reaquainted with our Niece and Nephew (that are the same age as we are) Mark and Stephanie Terribilini. Stephanie introduced us to the Twilight series, which we devoured on the ride home, and the next few weeks.

Getting Started

This is the moment I have been waiting for - I'm blogging! I have wanted to get back to my once incredible journal writing, but this is even better. I'm glad my little sister Missy taught me about it. We can thank Google - since we both use gmail. I was at work typing an email when she started instant messaging me from England in the corner of my page. I was amazed. How did she know I was online? I knew the answer right away, but was still amazed at how fun it was to have my little sister talking to me from the corner of a computer page, like something out of Harry Potter.

I live a blessed life in St. Louis, Missouri with my gorgeous wife, Lisa, and three little monkeys named Parker, Scott, and Thomas. I am an Orthodontist by day, and a monkey-trainer/monkey-toy by night.

Tonight when I came home, Tommy jumped into my arms and started to squish my lips between his fingers as he told me about his day. He always squishes my lips - I try not to think about where his fingers have been during the day, as he isn't yet 4 years old. Before I forget, Tommy has said some interesting things lately during our scripture study. Last night, for instance, he interrupted Lisa with "I want to hear more about Daniel". We paused, as we were reading from the Book of Mormon. Scott helped him out by saying "The angels held their mouths shut!" Tommy agreed enthusiastically with "Yeah, and dey couldn't bite 'em!" Tommy has JUST started going to primary, and seems to be learning well. A few weeks earlier he had me in TEARS with his comments about Christ. He said "Mom, when is Jesus going to come?" We started talking about his return, when Tommy said "I want him to come now". Lisa adds that Scott has said the same type of thing. On that night, the Spirit in the room grew stronger for me as I realized how close these little sons of mine are to the time they were with God. A decade ago, ALL of them were with God. It seems so obvious, but it hit me with so much force that night that I sobbed. Angels around us and angels living with us. Tommy is known as 'angelface' by Lisa when he is smiling.

Parker and I went to the movies the other night for his 'hour', of which I owed him two. We have 'National Treasure' at home, which we had just watched, so he was excited to see the sequel. Although I wasn't thrilled with the show itself, I loved having the experience with my little boy who is growing up too fast for me always. I loved that he held my hand from the van to the theater. I loved hearing his little comments throughout the show. It was appropriate that I had a coat pocket full of rolos that were wrapped in gold foil, as the show is about treasure.

Still to come - Parker slips at school and hits his nose on a chair.

Lisa to Kori (an old email between Lisa and a best friend, reposted by Rich)

March 31, 2007

Kori,

So good to hear from you. I wish I could see your house and how it is coming along. I hope you guys took before pictures. I'd love to see your before and after pictures to appreciate all that you have put into this!
I think you are so amazing Kori. I love to hear you say that you feel like you can keep up most days, except laundry days. I have about 9 or 10 loads of laundry waiting to be done right now! It's amazing there are still clean clothes to be worn. That reminds me how very blessed we are.
Things have been pretty crazy for me lately. I am not feeling like I can keep up right now. Our tax forms haven't been mailed to our accountant yet, the puppy has been enjoyable but has created a new set of jobs for me, there have been extra doctor and school related appointments for Scott, my visiting teaching hasn't really been done this month, and today I felt like I was sprinting all day. I wasn't able to see the first conference session and during the second one I was having to do dishes and prepare dinner (that the missionaries failed to show up for), and keep tabs on my kids, the dog, and the neighbor kids who were playing out back. I was definately feeling like Martha not Mary. What a bummer.
It's been very pretty lately; blossoms, new green leaves and the grass is taking off again. I love the spring and summer when Missouri looks like one big green park. Through the winter it's pretty brown. But we actually look forward to snow because we get so little and we really enjoyed watching the cardinals, and geese, and other birds. We've even seen deer out our back door along with squirrels and rabbits. We have definately enjoyed the wild life here. Oh, we had a great time last weekend at Purina Farms. Around Easter they have a bunch of baby animals in their "Easter Village" in one of the barns. The kids were able to see and pet so many little fuzzy animals. They just loved it. The place was decorated really cute and the workers wore dresses and aprons and cute droopy bunny ears. The hayloft had a great play area for the kids too. We were so glad that Heidi and Jaysen called to tell us about it and invite us along. We watched them exercise dogs, milk a cow, and rode on a wagon pulled by a tractor. It was so fun we spent 3 hours there!

I am looking forward to going to Seattle in May with Rich for the AAO conference. I'll have to get tips from Michelle Worley about the best sights to see. Rich's mom is going to come stay with the boys. It also looks like I will get to fly out to Utah for a couple of days the beginning of June. My nephew is getting married in the Salt Lake Temple. And the kids ask me regularly how long it will be until July when you guys will visit. It will be so fun!

I better get to bed. Happy Easter next week!

Love, Lisa