Shannon Rutherford on his way to fame and fortune!

Shannon Rutherford, who works for CBS's "The Unit," stands outside the shows production offices with his script in hand. Rutherford, a Lincoln native, co-wrote the episode of the show that will air Sunday night. Shannon is one of James' best friends. He grew up across the street. They went all the way through school together at Sheridan, Irving and Lincoln Southeast High School and played together in bands for years, including Montag and Kid Quarkstar! Bob and Shauna love Shannon like a son!

Family Home Evening, Monday, October 27, 2008

Happy Family Home Evening!

BOOO! BOOO! BOOO!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We'll be around to take pictures of everyone's costumes on Friday, so beware.

So are you all busy; too busy?

Here are some things you all know, but it doesn't hurt to review.

10 Ways to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less

1. Get moving! Exercise can be a great stress buster. Regardless of how you are feeling, to get up and walk around at a fast tempo or jump up and down.

2. Enjoy natural sunlight. Sunlight is great anytime of the year but especially in the winter.

3. Use deep breathing. You can trick your body into relaxing by breathing deeply. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11 Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows.

4. Make time for yourself every day. Give yourself 10 minutes each day of peace and quiet, a time to be reflective, meditate, or simply unwind.

5. Help others cope with their problems. It is very therapeutic when you engross yourself in helping others.

6. Be good to yourself. Have a list of motivational sayings that inspire and strengthen.

7. Eat healthfully. Proper nutrition promotes health, wellbeing, and rejuvenation to enhance your resilience to stress.

8. Laughter and Humor. The best medicine!

9. Music. Listening to your favorite music is a great method of reducing stress and relieving anxiety. (Especially Maroon5!)

10. Sleep. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep every night, and if your schedule allows it, take a 10-minute power nap in the afternoon.

Be a kid again and have fun on Halloween!

Love, Mom and Dad xoxoxoxoxo
Shauna and Robert Valentine

Feed a Rock Star!

Somebody needs to come home for a good Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing (lots of stuffing) and some of Mom's cranberry pie and hot rolls. Bring the other skinny guy with you, too.

Christopher Valentine & Marilyn Valentine Family

Fall photos. Chris, Marilyn, Giselle, Zane, Imogen and Amelia. Solid Americans! Great kids!

Grampa Valentine's Political Message

"The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

-- Cicero , 55 BC

[From cousin Darron Dowda in Colorado.]

Happy Birthday Imogen (4) and Sydney (3)

Family Home Evening, Monday, October 13, 2008

OBEDIENCE:

I know all of you want your children to obey to so they can grow up responsible, intelligent, informed, and wise.

"Obedience to God can be the very highest expression of independence."

"Obedience--that which God will never take by force--he will accept when freely given. And he will then return to you freedom that you can hardly dream of--the freedom to feel and to know, the freedom to do, and the freedom to be, at least a thousandfold more than we offer him. Strangely enough, the key to freedom is obedience." (Elder Boyd K. Packer)

Obedience is the first law of heaven.

In Jeremiah (7:23-24) we learn that we progress when we obey. The disobedient go backward; no one stands still.

Doctrine & Covenants 130:18-21 tells us that through obedience we gain knowledge, intelligence, and blessings.

Doctrine & Covenants 82:8-10 tells us that there is a power in obedience.

Some people criticize others for being "blindly obedient" to God or his prophets.

Why do we obey?

Because like Adam and so many others (Moses 5:5-7) we TRUST the Lord enough to know that he would ask only what was right. True obedience to God is not blind obedience. It is obedience born of trust in God and love for Him.

We show our love through obedience (John 14:15,21).

We have found throughout life that there is PEACE and HAPPINESS that comes with being obedient. It allows us to become the kind of person God wants us to be and the kind of person we want to be, too.

We are grateful that our children were obedient while growing up.

Have a great week; we hope it's peaceful and happy!

Love, Mom and Dad xoxoxoxoxooxo

BYU Homecoming Football Game

BYU (6-0) 21 - New Mexico 3. And the weather was cold!

Shauna Valentine's Excellent Homecoming Adventure

Last week was busy! Shauna helped to organize Homecoming for graduates of the McKay College of Education. Also, she was very busy with her duties as a member of the Board of Directors of the BYU Alumni Association. Lots of meetings, dinners and other events with new and old friends!

Amelia Elina Valentine is growing fast!

From tiny baby to charmer, grand daughter Amelia is thriving.

Cousin Tom V. Broadbent passes away!

Tommy Broadbent was another favorite (they are all favorite) cousin, son of Robert's aunt Wilma Valentine Broadbent, the classy and beautiful sister of Robert's Dad Lee B. Valentine. Tommy has two outstanding kids, Tom Louis and Hillary Ann and two darling grandchildren. Tom was a brilliant publisher and editor of college textbooks at Harcourt Brace and St. Martin's Press in New York City. His sister Beverly Broadbent Creer and brother Clark Broadbent from New Haven, Connecticut were also in Salt Lake City for the short service and burial at the Salt Lake Cemetery which overlooks the valley. (A few days later, Beverly attended her 50th BYU graduation in Provo.) Tom suffered from complications of Progessive Supranuclear Palsy, an atypical Parkinsonism that had battled for several years. Tom's wife Ellen, an angel, took care of Tom for many years under difficult circumstances. [Please make contributions to Cure PSP at www.psp.org]. We are very sad to have Tom leave us, but we were happy to be together at Cristy's condo later to remember wonderful times in the avenues and in Brigham City when we were young and played together for so may hours on special occasions. After all of these years, we still love each other and enjoy each other's companionship. We are comforted by the assurance that many of us feel and understand that we will be together again someday. If anyone has a good picture of Tommy, please send it to me to post.

Happy Birthday James Burgon Valentine, Rock Star