Weigh-in time comes once a month!

As lifetime members of Weight Watchers, Bob and Shauna have to get weighed at the end of each month. (What? They don't trust us?) The American Fork branch is located next door to TEMPTATION, but we resist. Our rule: If we are under our ideal weight, we go to I-HOP for breakfast once a month. Shauna was OK, but Bob was 0.4 pounds over his ideal weight, so we changed the rules and went to I-HOP anyway. Well, if it weren't for us hypocrites, who would run the world?

Happy Halloween!

Bob and Shauna delivered goodies to the neighborhood kids Tuesday night because they will be out watching their grandkids on Holloween night. Shauna is wearing her stylish Nordstrom's orange jacket today, and Bob is dressed in his normal lugubrious black, although resisting the chocolate! He is being watched by the Thanksgiving turkey. November is a bad month for weight maintenance!

Happy Family Home Evening and BOO to you too! Happy Halloween!

Next week we'll feature the parade of costumes, so James and Amanda send in pictures of your costumes, too.

In this world without quiet corners, there can be no easy escapes . . from hullabaloo, from terrible, unquiet fuss. --Salman Rushdie

Is there a person alive who doesn't suffer from stress? If there is, seek that person out and ask him/her to share their wisdom. The following are a few favorites:

CULTIVATE GRATITUDE.

CARVE OUT AN HOUR A DAY FOR SOLITUDE.

Begin and end the day with prayer, meditation, and reflection.

KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Keep your house picked up. (Thank heaven for Grampa's compulsive cleaning disorder!)

Don't over-schedule.

Strive for realistic deadlines.

Never make a promise you can't keep.

Allow an extra half hour for everything you do.

Create quiet surroundings at home and at work.

Go to bed a nine o'clock twice a week. (Grandma is working on this one!)

Always carry something interesting to read. (We renewed your subscription to THE WEEK!)

Breathe--deeply and often.

Move--walk, dance, run, find a sport you enjoy.

Drink pure spring water. Lots of it.

Eat only when hungry.

If it's not delicious, don't eat it.

Be instead of do. (Say again?)

SET ASIDE ONE DAY A WEEK FOR REST AND RENEWAL.

LAUGH MORE OFTEN.

Always opt for comfort.

Let Mother Nature nurture.

Don't answer the telephone during dinner.

Stop trying to please everybody.

Stay away from negative people.

Don't squander precious resources: time, creative energy, and emotion.

Nurture friendships.

Savor beauty.

Create boundaries

For every "yes," let there be a "no."

Don't worry, be happy!

Care for your soul.

Express love every day.

Search for your authentic self until you find her/him.

Have a WONDERFUL week and remember you are loved by Mom and Dad, Grampa and Grandma Valentine!

Mom and Dad xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Family Home Evening, October 22, 2007

Happy Family Home Evening Family,

Life gets pretty busy and I'm trying to be a well-rounded person, but there is never enough time to do all I want to do.

I want to read my scriptures daily. They give me a better perspective and attitude toward life, but it's hard finding time.

"Everything in the scriptures is applicable to our lives. The scriptures answer our questions, they provide role models and heroes, and they help us understand how to handle challenges and trials. Many times the scriptures you read will be the answers to your prayers." Elaine Dalton

"At the beginning of most dispensations, a book is given to the newly called prophet. Moses received tablets (see Exodus 31:18) Lehi was given a book to read concerning the destruction of Jerusalem (see 1 Nephi 1:11-14). Ezekiel was given a 'roll of a book' (Ezekiel 2:9-10) containing the Lord's message for the house of Judah in his day. John the Revelator on the Isle of Patmos was shown a book with seven seals (see Revelation 5: D&C 77:6).

Is it any wonder, then, that the Lord would provide a book containing the fullness of the gospel as part of the 'restitution of all things'? The Book of Mormon as the power to draw all men and women to Christ. Its references to the Savior's Atonement are the clearest on record with regard to its purpose and powers." Merrill J. Bateman

I listen to the Book of Mormon as I drive to BYU each day. I love the book. It was written for us --it is for our day. Keep that in mind when you read it. King Benjamin taught his sons of the importance of having the scriptures ALWAYS BEFORE OUR EYES, and we too need to have them ALWAYS BEFORE OUR EYES that we may learn what to do now, and how to prepare to be with our Father again. I like 2 Nephi 25:26--"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

"One's mind, once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions." Oliver Wendell Holmes

Do what you can, when you can, but try to put the scriptures in your daily routine.

Love Always,

Mom (and Dad) xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Snow in Highland

Shauna and Robert had dinner Saturday night at FRESCO (15th and 15th) in SLC with friends after seeing a great movie at the Broadway: "King of Donkey Kong" or some such title. We drove home in a snowstorm and woke up Sunday morning to a glorious sight. Snow in Utah does not stick to the roads as it does in Nebraska.

We attended Stake (diocese) conference and heard wonderful talks. I agree with Elder Butler, an area Seventy who earns his living as president of Jones Paint and Glass: "I can't imagine living this life without the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Our stake president Howard Bangerter, who earns his living as a computer security specialist, warned us about evil invading our homes via the internet, movies, etc. He also spoke about the "curse of prosperity" in our community and counseled us to be generous with our abundance. He quoted Jacob from the Book of Mormon that "pride in our hearts can destroy our souls."

Later, all of our local kids, Chris, Lisa and Gina and their spouses and children showed up for dinner. We were so busy we forgot to take pictures of them. We grilled steaks and had risotto and salad and Shauna's yummy brownies and sat around the dining room table and discussed everything from movies to the debate over school vouchers. Life is good! We just wish that James and Amanda could visit more frequently!

The morning breaks on Lone Peak !

Behold the view of the new snow on Lone Peak from our deck and living room in Highland.

Shauna Burgon Valentine, editor!

Shauna is the editor with her pal Roxy Johnson of "McKay Today," the magazine of the David O. McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University.

This is the fifth edition she has helped to publish. Robert thinks it is the best college magazine ever! The Fall 2007 issue focuses on "Timely and Timeless Teacher Preparation" with an interesting article about Karl G. Maeser, who was the first leader of BYU a few years after the Mormons arrived in Utah.

Karl G. Maeser said: "No teacher should enter the schoolroom without first offering a prayer, 'Father, bless me today. Give me Thy Spririt to discern the needs and desires of these little ones, read their thoughts and feel the pulsation of their hearts, that I can look into their eyes as they look into mine, and know that we love each other.'"

Robert's grandparents, parents, sisters and three children have graduated from BYU; Shauna's mother Margaret graduated from BYU, too. She and Amy Valentine were friends and lived in the Amanda Kinght residence hall. Grandmother Amy has always said that Margaret was one of the most beautiful women on campus. Decades later, Amy would often stop by Margaret's home in Orem to visit on her way to Salt Lake City .

Shauna Valentine is a 1950's Icon!

Robert couldn't resist taking a picture of Shauna as she was leaving to meet with her 16 to 18 year-old "Laurels" for a "Fifties" party at the Canyon View Ward. Are we relics, or what?

Robert's Cousin's Daughter at Maroon5 Boston Concert

Kaitlin is the daughter of Robert's first cousin John Walter Young, who is the son of Grandmother Amy's brother Walter Young, who was a WWII veteran and a great guitar player and singer who passed away many years ago. Robert visited the Youngs in Los Angeles back in 1961 during his stint in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord, California. Shauna and Robert visited the Youngs in Las Vegas during their honeymoon in 1967, too. Kaitlin brought her friend Alice. Kaitlin looks a lot like her beautiful aunt Catherine Young and her gorgeous grandmother Vonnie. Kaitlin is a student at Boston University. Rock on!

Family Home Evening, October 15, 2007

Shauna writes: We wish you were all sitting with us in our living room in Highland for Family Home Evening!

Every person has real power! We can influence others in many ways. I have seen the power that one mentor has on a child's life; it can be life changing.

As I was looking for quotes for yet another mentor gathering, I decided to make a copy of the following quote for my office:

Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can
--John Wesley

Mavis sat in her comfortable rocking chair as she listened to the evening news. She heard the reporter mention that in South America many newborns were being sent home wrapped newspapers.

“Wrapped in newspaper?” said Mavis out loud. “That’s terrible!”

So Mavis went to her sewing room and went to work. Over the next few weeks she made more than 200 quilts and receiving blankets. As she finished each blanket, she gave it an affectionate hug before placing it in one of the boxes to be taken to the LDS Church’s Humanitarian Services Center for distribution.

There’s something you should know about Mavis: she was 91 years old and legally blind. But Mavis was an amazing individual. She said, “There is something I can do,” and she wanted to exert herself to make a difference to the newborns around the world.

How much time does it take to hold a hand, to offer a comforting word, to snuggle a child? In Proverbs 31:20 we read, “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Remember that love is never wasted.

In the day-to-day process of living, with all of its trials, challenges, and discouragements, we often underestimate our own God-given attributes and abilities which make it possible for each of us to pattern his or her life after that of the Savior and, in fact, do some of the things he did as he lived here among men. We may never personally experience the miracle of raising the dead, or be one to turn water into wine. We may not be one of thousands who may be fed from a few loaves and fishes, or be a part of the miraculous experience of walking on a stormy sea. But, for each one of us, there are a number of Christlike patterns of living we can be a part of in our mortal sojourn. [H. Burke Peterson, “Selflessness: A Pattern for Happiness,” Ensign, May 1985, 66, available on www.lds.org]

I know that you all do so much as you serve others. I hope you know what a great influence you are for good in this world.

We love you and are so glad to be your parents and/or in-laws.

Love, Mom and Dad, Robert and Shauna Valentine

After lunch, let's hang out at "Fashion Mall!"

Lunch with Cristy and Grandmother Amy at Little America, followed by a shopping spree. Amy is looking for an outfit to wear at Stephanie's wedding in December. We walked and walked and tried on lots of outfits. Robert bought chocolates at the local Godiva for strength. By the way, in case you are curious, Amy Melvina Young Valentine was born in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico on April 25, 1916 in the middle of the Mexican Revolution.

Meet the Author: Laura Ingraham at B & N in SLC

Robert had just finished reading her new book "Power to the People" (fabulous) when we learned that Laura Ingraham would be at the Barnes & Noble for a signing Saturday at noon. A popular talk-show hostess, she also wrote the best-seller "Shut-Up and Sing" about celebraties who turn into preachers and drive away their fans. We gave her a copy of the new Maroon5 album - she is a fan!

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

About once a month, our LDS congregation organizes "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" at homes in the neighborhood to eat and to get to know each other better. Last night, we decided to have a Halloween party at the church. Shauna dressed in her Mormon Pioneer outfit and Robert wore his old tuxedo (way too big now).

Wednesday Night Lights in Highland

Sheridan and Sloane did a cheerleading routine with the Lone Peak High School Cheerleaders at half-time at the football game (which was won by American Fork 30 to 20). The wind whipped out of American Fork canyon. Winter is coming! Shauna and Bob were delighted to discover that "senior citizens" get in free!

Family Home Evening, October 8, 2007

Dad and I had a wonderful time at Sundance last week-end. The leaves were at their peak, we had sunshine and snow and enjoyed all of it. Thank you again for the great gift, it was very thoughtful of you.



A few quotes from General Conference:
President Gordon B. Hinckley: "The church has become one large family scattered across the earth. There are now more than 13 million of us in 176 nations and territories. A marvelous and wonderful thing is coming to pass. The Lord is fulfilling his promise that his gospel shall be as a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, which would roll forth and fill the whole earth as Daniel saw in vision." (President Hinckley is 97 and sharp as ever! In the early 1950's, W. Ernest Young, Robert's grandfather, was working as a historian at LDS headquarters in SLC and one day pointed to Gordon Hinckley and said: "He is the smartest man in the church.")



President Henry B. Eyring, new Second counselor in the First Presidency: "Taking time in a busy world to remember God's blessings is one way to invite the influence of the Hold Ghost. . . . . Remember what the Lord has done. . . . Forgetting God has been a persistent problem for humankind. Especially those who are abundantly blessed may forget the source of those blessings. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own power. All men have the Spirit of Christ, if not the Holy Ghost, to help them remember the goodness of God." (Elder Eyring earned a PhD at Harvard and was President of the American Chemical Society.)



Elder Quentin L. Cook, newest Apostle called to the Quorum of the Twelve: "Life experience teaches that we must live by faith and not by fear. We live in precarious times when the world is in desperate need of the gospel. I believe we can raise righteous children anywhere in the world if they are taught righteous principles in the home." (Elder Cook earned his law degree from Stanford and was head of the California Healthcare System.)



Sister Julie B. Beck, Relief Society President: "The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Mothers who know are willing to bear children. They honor sacred ordinances and covenants and adhere to gospel teachings. They are leaders and teachers. Mothers who know 'do less.' . . . less distractions and things that do not bear good fruit eternally or draw children away from the home and gospel. They are willing to live on less to have more time at home. They should be the very best in the world at upholding, nurturing and protecting families." (Sister Beck earned her degree from BYU in family science and lived as a child in Brazil.)



Elder Robert D. Hales, Quorum of the Twelve: "Prophets receive personal revelations to help them in their own lives and in directing the earthly affairs of the church. Our responsibility is to seek personal revelation for ourselves and for the responsibilities the Lord has given us. We prepare to receive personal revelation as the prophets do, by studying the scriptures,fasting, praying and building faith. Faith is the key. 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God . . .but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.' By unwavering faith we learn for ourselves that it is by faith that miracles are wrought." (Elder Hales has a Harvard MBA and was the president of Papermate Company and other corporations.)

I love the insights I receive at Conference and how I always want to try harder to be better, more loving, more focused on the important things in life. Best wishes for a terrific week.

Love, Mom and Dad xoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxo


Immy will be 3 years old on October 13.

Sydney will be 2 years old on October 13.

Celebrating Our 40th Anniversary Gift at Sundance!

The kids gave us a weekend at Sundance Resort! We decided to use it during LDS General Conference weekend because we have too many assignments at Church other weekends. Sundance is only a few miles from our home in Highland. Between conference sessions on TV, we hiked to Stewart Falls (returning in a snowstorm) and ate several meals at the delicious Foundary Grill, too. We also enjoyed the 11th Annual Havest Market. Enjoy the pictures!

The best way to watch LDS General Conference

Over the weekend, from a cabin at Sundance, Shauna and Robert watched all of the sessions of the General Conference of the LDS (Mormon) Church. The talks were wonderful. You can read them on www.lds.org.

Happy Birthday James Burgon Valentine, Rock Star

Happy Birthday James! Here are some memories from your brother Chris and sisters Lisa, Gina and Amanda!

Chris: I remember playing Star Wars figures and Hot Wheels together. We built forts, went on missions, took hostages, etc. We spent hours perfecting the physics of complex Hot Wheels jumps so that the cars would land just right. At age 3 or 4, I remember him flying down Park Avenue in Lincoln on the little green bike with training wheels and the fixed pedals on the front wheel (the one I rode when I was 3 or 4) with his feet in the air because the pedals were spinning so fast. He would only stop before rolling into 27th street by crashing on the front lawn--a practice that he would continue for many years.

Lisa: The best thing about James as a child was his unbridled energy (that I now see in Owen and Zane). My favorite memories of James include him fighting and swinging with his whole body as Chris held his head at an arm's distance, never getting touched, and Chris egging him to come "get him," and James, like a bull, would run head-first into the wall because Chris had gently stepped out of the way at the last minute. I also see him screaming down Park Avenue on his bike, with a helmet, thank goodness, and crashing into that poor, little tree in front of our house because he hadn't learned to stop. I also loved that when I babysat him he would call me a "cold-hearted ogre" and wouldn't go to bed. So I beat him. I also remember coming home from dates while he was sleepwalking, and that was always amusing (but not to mom). As I got older, I loved to see his enthusiastic reaction as I brought home boys who played in cool bands and talked music with him (Yard Apes, Roosevelt Franklin, etc) or let them play their guitars. That was fun because he didn't care that he was thrilled and he showed it. That "expression" was the cutest thing ever! Now I love to see that expression in Miles and Owen when James treats THEM like rockstars! Happy Birthday little brother! Love, the cold-hearted ogre! Lisa

Amanda: James and I used to spend hours listening to music in our rooms. I remember when he went to a summer at the Berkely School of Music and came back with tapes of "jam sessions" with new friend and fellow guitar nerd John Mayer. They were horrible. I remember the day we decided to become DJ'S and scratched up all of our childhood records. James first brought home a Frank Zappa album- that changed my life. James taught me my first song on bass (Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana), which led to my successful musical career. I love you Jimmy!

Gina: I loved watching James go down Park Avenue standing on his BMX bike. Also, I always got a kick out of him and Shane (now Shannon) mock-fighting on the front lawn. But when I think of James, I picture him curled up in his blue blanket w/brown bears on it while we drove to early morning seminary in the stationwagon or reclining in the tan chair watching MTV strumming his guitar as if he were petting the cat.

Dad: I remember when James all of a sudden decided that he would get straight A grades in school. Always bright, he would do his homework but then forget to turn it in. I remember how efficient he became in delivering newspapers in Lincoln to save money for his guitar lessons and nifty bicycle. I most of all remember how kind he was with everyone as a child and teenager. I saw that kindness many years later as he patiently spoke with fans and signed autographs after concerts despite being physically exhausted.

Mom: I remember holding a long, skinny blonde baby boy and feeling so happy I thought my heart would burst. I was grateful to have two boys that could become friend and buddies. I remember how we agreed on the name-- I could say our James was named after my grandfather and Robert could say it was after his grandfather, and we were both right.
What a busy, active, interesting child! My mind is filled with fun active memories of keeping up with the next James adventure. Just to name a few: there was soccer (the beginning of lifelong friendships), karate (well, that one never got off the ground), BMX biking (the adventure of the stolen and recovered bike), fencing (fun times in Kansas City), scouting (chopping hemp in Nebraska heat), baseball (playing in Nebraska heat), and so many wonderful evenings listening to James’ music in schools, homes, hotels, parks, and bars. I also have memories of a kind, happy, optimistic, talented son who attracted and continues to attract good friends of all ages. Happy, happy birthday son; may this be your best year yet!

Happy Birthday James! We love you! Mom, Dad, Chris, Lisa, Gina and Amanda

Thinking of Time . . . and Times Past . . .

Shauna's Family Home Evening message on time brought back memories of our favorite songs in the 1970's, which we played over and over again on the 8-Track Stereo in our 1965 Dodge Dart in Laurinburg, North Carolina, where Chris was a little boy with a Southern accent and Lisa and Gina were born at the Scotland Memorial Hospital, where Shauna decided to give birth rather than drive 35 miles to the "white" clinic in Pinehurst. Jim Croce was a great singer and we still love his music and lyrics.

If I could save Time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'Til Eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

CHORUS:
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

This is how Robert Valentine feels about drop-dead gorgeous Shauna Burgon after forty years plus!

Monday Family Home Evening, October 1, 2007

Good Family Home Evening wherever you are!

Hope everyone is doing well. Got to see many of the Burgon cousins as well as the aunts and uncles last Saturday at our annual "our generation" gathering. Dad has it all recorded on the family blog, complete with pictures. Made me think about TIME, how quickly it passes, what we do with it. As I saw slides of my Mom and Dad I was carried away to another time. my Mom was so gracious and beautiful, my Dad was so kind and funny, my Grandpa, Heber James Burgon, was so dignified.

Enjoy your time, make the best of your time . . .

Art Buchwald (columnist, humorist):
"Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got."


Henry David Thoreau:
"You cannot kill time without injuring eternity."


Denis Waitely (motivational author):
"Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can't buy more hours. Scientists can't invent new minutes. And you can't save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow."


John Archibald Wheeler (physicist):
"Time is what prevents everything from happening at once."


Carl Sandburg:
"Time is the only coin of your life. It's the only coin you have and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."


So, how are we to spend our time? Paul gives us some tips in Romans (12:9-21):

Being Loving: "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."

Being Kind: "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love."

Being industrious: "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord."

"Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer."

"Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

Being Christ-like: "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. . . ."

Being sensitive to those around us: "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."

Being good, being nice: "Recompense to no man evil for evil."

Being a peacemaker: "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."


Wishing you the best of times this week and love always,

Mom and Dad, Robert and Shauna Valentine, Highland, Utah

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo