Visit from Kirsten

This past weekend and tomorrow, MHS is presenting "Singing in the Rain".  Because Kirsten loves drama and music (as we all do) she headed north from Provo so she could join us in the show.  Sarah danced in many numbers and as always Dave worked the sound and music.  This all took place in the brand new auditorium.  It really is a beautiful hall with state of the art equipment.  We are lucky to have it in our community.  And now Kirsten is headed back to Provo in a bit of challenging weather.

Dancing to the song "All I Do"

Singing "You Stepped Out of a Dream"

While Kirsten was home, we had small birthday party to acknowledge her day that was actually last Saturday, November 13.  We had pumpkin-chocolate swirl brownies and ice cream.  Her present was a camera so now she can take lots of pictures to help keep us in touch with her BYU life.

Spencer - Student of the Week

This week Spencer is the "Student of the Week" for his classroom.  His teacher, Mrs. Thomason, asked us to write up a few thoughts about him.  We decided to share them on the blog as well...

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Spencer David Hinck was born on January 14, 2000 to a family with 4 sisters. There was a lot of excitement when his parents and sisters were told that a little boy had just joined their family. A few years later Spencer was happy to have a little brother join him with the houseful of sisters.

Spencer is an important member of our family. He is a good friend to all of his siblings. With his younger brother, Matthew, they enjoy riding bikes, pretending to be spies, and playing games. Spencer has also been a good sport at playing the role of pretend brother or dad when his older sister joins them as they pretend to play house.

Just this past year, Spencer played on a baseball team. He was fast to pick up the sport and spent many of the games playing catcher. He also enjoys basketball, fishing, camping, swimming and soccer.

Last year Spencer auditioned for a role in the musical, Music Man. He was lucky enough to be one of two boys selected to play the role of Winthrop Paroo. It was an unforgettable experience because not only did he get to act and sing alongside many high school students but he also was on stage with his older sister, Kirsten, who played the role of Winthrop's older sister, Marion Paroo.

Spencer has enjoyed traveling to many beautiful spots in the United States. Some of his favorite spots include San Francisco, Disneyland, Yellowstone, Nauvoo, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and an Aquarium in Baltimore. Over this year's potato harvest, he visited Yellowstone with his family and came within 100 feet of a Grizzly Bear. Last year, just off the rode in Yellowstone, he witnessed 4-5 wolves chasing a Grizzly Bear while a bison stood as a spectator. He loves to reach for the camera and take pictures of all the different wildlife he sees.

Spencer has many great qualities. He works hard to be a good student. His favorite subject is science. He is kind to everyone and wants to be a good friend. He loves animals and enjoys playing with his pet cat, Sophie. He helps his Dad do outside tasks such as mowing the lawn and working in the garden. Last Saturday, he and his little brother helped rake all the leaves in their front yard and also the leaves of an older lady in their neighborhood.

Spencer is a Webelo Scout and loves participating in all the things that scouts learn. He is working on earning the Arrow of Light award.

Spencer is a wonderful son, brother and friend. We are so glad that he is a part of our family.

Fall Weather

Here in Rexburg we have been quite surprised and thankful for the beautiful fall weather.  Very mild conditions are not the norm for this time of year.  Pleasant temperatures, very little wind and beautiful autumn colors have made the fall of 2010 very lovely.

What has kept us busy during the first week of November?  For Dave and Sarah, the high school musical is consuming their moments.  It opens in two weeks.  Last Thursday was the first day that they were able to rehearse in the brand new auditorium.  And now they are patiently waiting for the sounds and lights to be fully operational so they can really have a show ready to go.  The students will be performing "Singin'" in the Rain."

Kirsten performed with the Women's Choir in concert at BYU on Friday and Saturday.  We wished that all of us could have attended.  But by the time we arranged our schedules, the tickets were gone.   She was so excited to run into Heather Bankhead.  And I was happy that someone she considers family was their to listen and appreciate their performance.

The rest of us are keeping busy with our regular duties such as homework, food prep, dancing and chores.

Dressing Up!

Halloween brings lots of traditions including the favorite at our house, dressing up.  The Hinck children tend to consider what their Halloween costume could be months before the official dress-up day.  I blow off all their thoughts until at least October, but then after harvest vacation the costume plans begin to take shape.   Here are a few shots of the costumes for 2010.

Matthew as a cowboy, Catherine, a yellow crayon,  Spencer is a money tree and Sarah, Mrs. Green from the board game "Clue".

During the past week, we attended Evening of Excellence for Sarah and Catherine.  Dave put together a video presentation consisting of testimonies from many of the the Young Women in our ward.  We were grateful for Sarah and Catherine's sweet words.

Thursday evening Sarah was inducted into the National Honor Society at the high school.  She along with many other Juniors and Seniors gathered together to take the pledge with parents watching on.

The next night several members of the family attended the annual Halloween orchestra concert at BYU-I.  This concert is a bit different from a traditional, formal orchestra concert.  This concert uses the traditional playing of music but also adds a bit of a Halloween script that allows for a little more audience interaction.  The members of the orchestra and the audience all dress up in their Halloween attire.  A western theme was in place this year with selections from "Rodeo" by Copeland, John Williams, "The Cowboy's Overture" and an excerpt from "Dances with Wolves".

The next evening was the "Trunk or Treat" at the Church.  The transition from "trick or treating" to "trunk or treating" has really changed this holiday from a few years ago.  I have to say I prefer the old way where kids and parents travel around the neighborhood and have a little more opportunity to greet and meet.  Trunk or treat is a rush to get candy and is all over in 15 minutes.   Possibly "trunk or treat" is a good thing for younger children, but for older children it encourages a sense of entitlement to candy with very few offering a word of thanks.

Last night was also the girl's choice Halloween dance at the High School.  Sarah and friends dressed as characters from the board game, Clue.  Sarah and her date were Mr. and Mrs. Green.  Dave designed a live Clue Game where they traveled to different locations in town to find a clue about the crime.  Then they would text their guesses of the location, weapon and suspect to Dave who would let them know if they were correct or incorrect.  It was a lot of fun for all.  I was entertained watching Dave try to manage all the texts coming into his phone.

Camille had exciting news during this past week.  She was accepted to BYU-I's nursing program.  She was accepted to be a part of the alternate track which is designed for students who already have a lot of credits.  She was blessed to be accepted from a pool of 110 applicants with only 10 selected.  It is a huge commitment on her part and will be a large part of her life during the next two years.

Kirsten enjoyed being with family last weekend.  She was able to see grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins at Scott and Mary's home.  My brothers had just returned from their annual backpacking trip in Southern Utah.  So all gathered their before going separate directions to their homes.  She loved the chance to spend time with everyone.

Until next time!

Elder Chris Benson

Hinck Family Photo October 17, 2010 in Layton, Utah
front row l-r: Sarah Hinck, Jasper Boren, Ethan Boren, Matthew Hinck, Jenacie Boren, Daniel Dalton, Taylor Dalton
middle row l-r: Suzanne Boren, Spencer Hinck, Tamara Wood, Grant Wood, Megan Benson, Vicky Benson, Joshua Dalton, Dixie Dalton
back row l-r: David Hinck, Julie Hinck, Camille Hinck, Kirsten Hinck, Catherine Hinck, Elder Chris Benson, Jeremy Benson, Doug Benson, Layne Dalton, Aaron Dalton

Last weekend we traveled to Utah to visit with our family as they gathered for the celebration of Elder Benson's call to the mission field.  He was dropped off at the MTC this past Wednesday where he begins his preparation for a mission to Belgium.  It was wonderful to visit with my family in Logan and then to visit with the Hinck family in Layton.  We also met up with Kirsten.  She came to Logan with the help of Aunt Sara Jane.  Everyone was excited to see Kirsten. We had not seen her since we dropped her off at BYU in August.

Hinck Cousins
Back row (left-right):  Joshua Dalton, Aaron Dalton, Jeremy Benson, Elder Chris Benson
Middle Row (l-r) Jasper Boren, Spencer Hinck
Front Row (l-r) Ethan Boren, Matthew Hinck (holding Max) Daniel Dalton

Hinck Cousins
Back row (l-r): Megan Benson, Camille Hinck, Taylor Dalton, Kirsten Hinck
Front row (l-r): Sarah Hinck, Catherine Hinck, Jenacie Boren

The Hinck Siblings
Suzanne, Vicky, Dixie, and David

Grandma and Grant Wood
I am sure they enjoyed having all their family gathered.  With many missions on the horizon, this could be one of the few times in the next little while where we will all be together in the same place.

A lovely couple.
Dixie and Layne Dalton

The fall colors in Sardine Canyon were breathtaking and we even caught sight of a moose taking a drink near the side of the road.

Our family was in awe of the beautiful foliage in Sardine Canyon.  We stopped for a quick picture.  Matthew was not happy to interrupt our journey.  If we had angled the camera a little better, the fall colors would have been depicted in a more prominent way.

Our moose friend.

Just to the side of the Benson home, is a field where geese drop in as they travel their route southward.  Dave was intrigued with the photo opportunities.

Quite a beautiful scene.

Fall has won it's spot as my favorite season.

Fall In Yellowstone

Fall is a nice time to visit Yellowstone.  Cool temperatures, small crowds and active animals were all part of our day trip to Yellowstone on Saturday.  Dave had been urging us all to humor his photography hobby with a trip to the National Park.  So we set off from Rexburg at 10:00 a.m. and drove 1 hour and 45 minutes to the west entrance.   Right off the bat we came across a bull elk with his herd.  We listened to his bugle call and then observed as he directed his group away from the tourists.

Next we stopped at Old Faithful and enjoyed some time in the newly opened educational center.  It was quite interesting to better understand the scientific phenomena of Yellowstone.

On a side road that leads to the old Yellowstone Inn, we found our prize sighting, a grizzly bear.  It was quite an incredible moment to be so close (about 50 yards away) to one of the sought after animals of Yellowstone.  It was clearly a grizzly as we identified that the nose was not quite as pointed as a black bear and the hump was very visible by the shoulders.  The golden dusting of fur was also apparent.

Further down the road we did the zigzag hike down to the brink of the lower falls and then observed the canyon from the perspective of Inspiration Point.

As we headed back home, we passed another elk herd with a similar or maybe the same bull elk as we watched that morning.  Fall is an interesting time to witness the elk herds because the bulls are in the process of mating and are very active.

We had a fun day and actually purchased a one year pass through next October so it looks like we will be going back next spring and summer.

7 Wonders

Camille had a date awhile ago where the young man introduced her to several of his "wonders of Rexburg."  After a lot of sitting today as we watched conference, I was ready to exercise a few muscles, so I decided to take our three youngest to visit the 4 wonders of Rexburg.  As we rode our bikes, the 4 wonders became 7.  I had a few other spots I wanted to share.  My 7 wonders on October 2, 2010 included:  Snoasis, Sunrise Village, Eliza R. Snow Building, Crestwood, the Temple, Madison High School, and Dairy Queen.  (These could change on any given day, but today these were what came to mind.)


So here they are.......

The Seven Wonders Of Rexburg on October 2, 2010

1.  *Snoasis has provided a great summer job for my oldest daughters.  It is an excellent job for teaching money skills, responsibility, and working with others.  This 7th wonder was included because Sarah was there and needed a book.

2.  *Sunrise Village was the apartment I lived in during my time at Ricks.  #13 to be exact.

3.  *23 years ago the Snow Building was occupied a good share of the time by Dave and myself as we worked on becoming better teachers of music .  Many of our music classes were held in this building.

4.  *Crestwood was the apartment complex where Dave lived during school and courting.

5.  *Temple is for sure a wonder.  It is beautiful and glorious.

6.  *Madison High School was after all the reason we came back to Rexburg.  The pictures show off the brand new building that opened this year.

7.  *Dairy Queen was a spot where Dave and I frequented in our early dating time.  We walked down from campus to try the flavors.  Yummy!

Our bike ride was pretty rigourous.  We rode for about 2 1/2 hours.  The kids were good sports and held out until the end.

So, there you have it!  The Seven Wonders of Rexburg!

A Shortage of Spinach Salad

It is a Sunday afternoon and most are napping.  Kind of nice to take a minute to catch-up on a little snoozing.  Grandpa and Grandma Hinck-Wood drove in late last night in their recently purchased motor home.  Most of the family had no idea they were here until this morning when we met up to walk to church.  The motor home comes with all the extras that staying in a hotel would offer.  A nice addition to their traveling lifestyle.

I attended the Relief Society broadcast last evening with Camille, Sarah (Camille's roommate) and a few friends.  Our stake holds a dinner prior to the broadcast.   Such a huge turnout resulted in the limited supply of the delicious, tasty spinach salad, a favorite among Rexburgians.  This salad is ordered from BYU-I and is commonly served at such functions because it is quite scrumptious.  Unfortunately, our little group was towards the end of the line, causing  ourselves to be served only a couple of spinach leaves.

The disappointment of the small portion of salad was soon forgotten when we were richly taught by the wonderful Relief Society Presidency and President Monson.  As always this meeting prompted great gratitude to belong to such a wonderful organization and great motivation to make improvements in my life.  I loved thinking that this organization encompasses all whom I love: daughters, mother, sisters, in-laws, relatives and friends.

September Sunday

Today has been a beautiful pre-fall day Rexburg, with a perfect temperature and a light cool breeze.

43 years ago today I began my lifetime journey as I became the first child of C. Kent and Sue Anne Thompson.  I am thankful that I was sent to such a wonderful family that helped mold and influence me into the person I am today.  I love my parents and my siblings, Scott, John, Sara Jane, Mark, Allan and Matthew.  It has been wonderful to have additions to our family through sister-in-laws, Mary, Kim and JoBecka, and also the addition of nieces and nephew.  I love to gather with my family and share memories and new experiences. I hope for many more.

Today I was released as ward choir organist which I have been doing for possibly 10 years.  I am kind of sad because I do enjoy accompanying.  I guess I will have to join the alto section again.

Dave and Julie (Julie sporting her new sweater that
Camille gave her for her birthday).

The Family (minus Kirsten, who is at BYU)
 on Julie's Birthday - 2010

Homecoming at Madison and Peaches

It has been homecoming week at Madison High.  Plenty of fun events were planned for all the school kids.  Unfortunately, this past Friday, we lost our home football game to Blackfoot (not a surprise).

Canning has always been something that I have felt overwhelmed about.  Since my children have been getting a little older, I have been attempting more canning.  We did 14 quarts of peaches.  I do have a sense of fulfillment when it is all completed.

Sarah is at the homecoming dance with a friend named Andrew Johnson.
Dave took pictures for 10 couples who were hoping to save a little money.
Catherine was a great help today.  She completed her home tasks, homework, practicing and also helped with peaches,
Kirsten discovered that spices are a lot of money after going grocery shopping.
We celebrated a bit of birthday at G's dairy.
Spencer mowed the lawn----yea.

Now Sarah is home.  After hearing of her experiences, we are very thankful she is safe and sound.

Sarah in her Homecoming attire.

Sarah with her date, Andrew Johnson.

The "fruits" of our labors - 14 quarts of peaches....Yummy!

21 Years Ago . . . . .

Camille Anne Hinck was born on a Sunday afternoon in Logan, Utah.  Her birth came 1 year and 3 months after Dave and I were married.  We lived in a tiny little white house on a corner in west Logan one block from Grandpa and Grandma Thompson.  My best birthday present ever was two days later when Dave and I brought our precious little bundle home to our white house.

Here we are 21 years later honoring Camille.  What is she doing these days?  She continues to attend BYU-I and is technically in the second half of her Junior year.  But because it is a tricky deal to pick your major and then make it all work she will probably be a college student for about two more years.  She has applied for the nursing program and will find out if she is accepted in October.  Being a nurse has always been something she has considered but not until now has she moved fully towards completing her goal.  Because she was previously a dietetics major, many of the courses she has already taken are required or very beneficial towards being a nurse.

Camille lives in an apartment near campus with a dear friend whom she met last year.  This roommate, Sarah Clements is a student that I began to accompany last year.  She is a violinist and also an accounting major.  While I was getting to know Sarah, Camille was called to be Relief Society president in her ward and asked that Sarah be her counselor.  This all happened without either of us knowing about one another's connection.   After we discovered the connection, we both realized how blessed we were to know Sarah.  It is always wonderful to find a friend where there is such a close bond.

Camille continues to work at Circle of Love where she sells wedding dresses, men and women's dress apparel and  helps with tuxedo rentals.  She is a valued employee who understands the ropes of the business and is appreciated by her employers.

We love Camille.  She has a passion for life that draws us all in.  She has worked hard to develop a solid testimony of the gospel and relies on the spirit to direct her life.  She has compassion for those around her and is sensitive to the needs of others.  She is a wonderful daughter, sister and friend.   Happy Birthday Camille!

Blowin' outthe candles (there were only 4 due
to an oversight on our part).

Camille and her new umbrella.  Her friend
 Braden Eads is in the background.

Camille and her new iPod player!

WeBeLo Scout

I have always liked the long form of Webelo Scouts----We Be Loyal Scouts.  Tonight Spencer earned his Webelo badge at our ward pack meeting.  He has such enthusiastic leaders who have encouraged him every step of the way.  Three other boys in his den each earned their badge tonight.  Here is a picture of Spencer, Dave and myself during this proud moment.

Spudnuts

I made spud nuts today.  The recipe is taken from a Deseret cookbook with pioneer recipes included.  The donut is actually mixed with mashed potatoes.  That is the reason for the spud nut title.  It was a yummy treat.

We picked up Sarah's dress for homecoming from Circle of Love today.  It is a darling short dress with silver spots on a black background.  She is going to look quite cute on Saturday night.

We Are Watched Over

Because of budget cuts on the state level, we along with many others received a substantial deduction in pay.  What makes this difficult is that the cost of living continues to rise. Our family was in a bit of a pickle with some pretty significant bills to pay.  With our state of affairs, I could have thrown myself into a frenzy but for some reason I maintained a calmness.  Probably because of knowing through past experience that everything seems to work out and because I was trying to exercise a bit of faith.

Well, I was quite thankful when Bro. Allen from BYU-I called and informed me that they had a large number of students needing piano instructors.   Because of these large numbers I will be teaching 14 students this semester.  This amount will help us pay for all the extras that have come up.  

For example, contacts are very expensive.  Catherine has just began wearing them for the first time.  Because she is far-sided and has an astigmatism, the cost of her contacts comes to about $400.00.  Wowsers!  

Sarah needs her new supply of contacts.  Another few hundred dollars.

Because of a diagnosis of a small noncancerous tumor in her pituartary gland (a fairly common issue), Catherine has had 3 MRI's in the last year.  The last prognosis was that the tumor was no longer(we are very thankful) so no more MRI's are needed at the time.  Meanwhile, the MRI bill is a big one.

Sarah has taken medicine for epilepsy since she was 12.  Because her EEG came back with normal indicators, and also her sypmtoms of seiszures have not occurred for over a year, she was taken off her medicine (again we are extremely thankful).  Having an EEG is another big chunk of money.

And of course, we wouldn't want to leave out car problems.  Our Mazda just received a brake job and our van needs to have it's All-wheel drive repaired.

Not to mention all the school fees that come up each year.

My point of this entry is to acknowledge that the Lord watches over each of us.  We feel thankful that options opened up so we can pay our bills.  We are also thankful that these expensive medical procedures have led to improved health in our family.

Peach Pie

To release the stored energy of our boys on Sunday evening, we often find ourselves at the BYU-I gardens.  It is a beautiful spot where we enjoy spending family time.  Yesterday, we decided to meet up with our long time friends, the Hibbards, to visit and share some dessert.  Dave and I decided to put together a fresh peach pie.  Everyone enjoyed the taste, but it was totally messy.  Nothing held together.  It was served in a pile of peaches and crust.  So, if anyone has a lovely peach pie recipe, pass it on.  For me part of the enjoyment of eating is being happy with both the taste and the presentation.

We find ourselves missing our girls in the oddest of times.  Yesterday, Catherine set the table and had to remove two place settings when she realized we needed 6 not 8, and as Dave was handing out the hamburger buns, he reminisced about how we used to need an entire package of buns.  Now there are two leftovers buns.