With Scott retiring at the end of this month and in preparation of serving a mission, Scott and I decided to put our house on the market. We have lots of memories as we raised our family in our home for the past 33 years. We may move away from Duarte, but our hearts will always be here with our dear friends, neighbors, and co-workers we have met over the years.
This is what our house looked like when we bought it in 1983
Our 1990 house addition...
...for our growing family
This is our home 33 years later as it appeared on Podley's brochure.
After teaching seminary for 5 years, the Monrovia/Duarte Seminary classes honored me with a surprise farewell party, complete with a beautiful video, tributes, thoughtful gifts, and a book with my student's testimonies.
After 37 years in education, Scott will be retiring on June 30, 2016. The last 15 years of his career he had the privilege of being the principal at Gladstone High School. This past Friday Scott's secretary, JoAnn Gomez, organized a retirement party for Scott and 8 of his colleagues.
Thanks to Anna Kwak for making this beautiful video for the occasion. You can also view the video by clicking here.
Scott asked me to say a few words at his retirement party. I ended up not saying any of the things that I planned. Instead I talked about Scott’s poker face that Sam Perdomo (Scott's former assistant principal) referred to in his remarks before mine.
When I was handed the microphone, I explained that we were going on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When Sam talked about Scott’s poker face, I suddenly got a revelation on how we were going to fund our mission. We could make a visit to Las Vegas to play a little poker. Then we’d have enough money to fund our mission! I was kidding, of course. Everyone laughed.
These are some of the notes I planned on saying about Scott:
If I could use one word to describe Scott, it would be humble. He is not one to brag about his accomplishments. I would like to brag a little about him now.
He has many lives.
#1 He is a son of God. He knows who he is and he has a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He as served many ways in our church. He was a missionary in Mexico for two years as a 19 year old young man. He has served as a Sunday School teacher, youth leader, Cub master, Bishop to our local congregation, and Stake President advising the local leadership in Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Temple City, and Rosemead areas.
#2 He is a family man. He is a great husband, father, son, and sibling.
#3 He is an educator. He has touched countless lives of students, athletes, and co-workers.
This is what others said about him in a book his daughters put together for his 60th birthday:
1. Craig (brother-in-law): What do I think about when I think of Scott Magnusson? I think of someone who is quiet, witty, and always willing to help. Scott doesn’t dominate the conversation but when he speaks it is usually very witty and insightful. He is also willing to help whenever he is around. It is always a pleasure to have him visit with his family.
2. A fellow administrator from Temple City School District: I enjoyed problem solving with you as fellow administrators and was impressed by your dry sense of humor and the fact that your interests and decisions were always based on what was best for the students, faculty and staff under your charge. You were always positive and upbeat as well. I also enjoyed serving on several WASC teams together and keeping in touch over the years.
3. From a member of our church congregation: President Magnusson has influenced me in small and big ways. I remember when we first moved into the ward, he was the Gospel Doctrine Teacher. Every time I attended his class, I noticed and made a mental note of a few things. He always taught from the manual. He always was respectful and eager for his class to participate. He always turned to the scriptures to answer questions. He always had a visual aid. He always shared his testimony. What great things to remember when it became my turn to teach!
4. From Kathleen (wife): …As I have read through the birthday wishes in this book, it is great to know that others recognize what I have known all along. And that is you are an amazing person. You are a man of integrity, a teacher, a leader, humorous in your own way, and you possess a strong testimony of Jesus Christ.
Now here we are 38 years after our first birthday celebration together. It is great to be married to your best friend. I love the man I married and I’m glad that we can go through this journey called life together. I look forward to spending the rest of eternity with you.
On mormon.org we learn that holy temples are as necessary today as they were in ancient times. From reading the Bible we know that God's people have built temples. In the Old Testament we read about Moses' and Solomon's experiences with the temple. In the New Testament it talks about how Jesus Christ spent a lot of time in the temple at Jerusalem.
You can watch the video below and learn about temples that are on the earth today.
I am a simple minded person and I was happy to find this video that explains what I know.
This is what the LDS Youth YouTube page has to say about this video:
"What happened to Christ's church after He and all the apostles died? What characteristics does Christ's true church contain? This simple video explains clearly the "apostasy" and "restoration" of Jesus Christ's church as He instituted it during his mortal ministry."
You can also view the video by clicking on Youtube here.
I just have to say, that I love my brothers. We gathered from Washington, California, and Utah to say one last family prayer and goodbye to our mother before she died on April 3rd. That was her desire and I'm glad that it happened. She passed away 6 days later.
I will also say that I love my sister-in-laws. I'm eternally grateful to my brothers for giving me sisters that I always longed for.
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing was performed at the Saturday morning session 2016 General Conference by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They did a beautiful rendition of the song as you can see by watching to the video below.
A member of the choir, C. David Belt, talks about his experience of singing this song to ldsdaily.com:
“Every time I sing with the Choir, I am so very profoundly grateful,” he said. “I am amazed that, out of all the very talented people out there who would love to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I get to stand before my Maker and sing His praises with this marvelous group of people.” One of Belt’s favorite things about being in the Choir is singing the arrangements done by Choir music director (and conductor/composer), Mack Wilberg. They are “so beautiful, so elegant, so thrilling,” Belt said. “It is as if he has bottled my Savior’s love, condensed it into the sweetest nectar, and I get to drink it.” The special arrangement of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” is no different. As Belt was singing, he felt the power of the Atonement wash over him. “Elder Renlund had just told that story about the Aaronic priesthood administering the sacrament for one person, and that the Savior performed the Atonement for each of us individually. I began to weep as soon as the song began. I love songs about the grace of Jesus Christ, how He paid for my sins. It’s very personal to me. We had just sung, He to rescue me from danger interposed His precious blood. He paid for MY sins, for ME. Then we sang, Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love! Here’s my heart. Oh, take and seal it. Seal it for Thy courts above. I love my Savior and I am so very grateful for what He did for me. Songs like that one really touch me.”
You can read the whole story from ldsdaily by clicking here.
"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." Abraham Lincoln.
My mother passed away on April 3rd. I will miss her, but know I will see her again. In the Family: A Proclamation to the World we are taught: "The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave." I know this to be true. I look forward to being with my parents again someday.
Here is a video that Christy made for my mom's 80th birthday.
She did a great job capturing my Mom's life story.
Thanks Christy for this wonderful video of our mom.
You can also view the video by clicking here. You can view the video Christy made for my dad by clicking here.
This is a copy of the Obituary my brothers put together:
Carlene Ruth Buchanan Harris 1933 -2016. Our loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend died April 3, 2016 in South Jordan, UT after complications from Parkinson’s disease. Carlene was born April 11, 1933, in Salt Lake City, UT, daughter of Carl Walter Buchanan and Wilhelmina “Minnie” Gertie Bernards. She married Kiefer Weston Harris September 2, 1952 in the Salt Lake Temple. Carlene and Kiefer lived in Concord California for 45 years until they returned to the Salt Lake area in 2002.
Carlene and Kiefer had four children and she LOVED being a mother. She loved to go on family outings and especially enjoyed going to the beach. After her children married and moved away, she visited them often on vacation and special family occasions.
Carlene enjoyed music and loved to play the piano. She also taught piano at home. Carlene used her musical talents at church by playing the organ. She was a dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings including Relief Society President. Carlene and Kiefer served as Temple Workers in the Oakland Temple for 18 years and the Jordan River Temple for 6 years. Carlene had an unwavering faith in God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Carlene is survived by her brother, Carl Wendell (Judy) Buchanan, her children, Craig (Lynn) of Sandy, UT, Kathleen (Scott) Magnusson of Duarte, CA, Douglas (Kerri) of Wenatchee, WA, and Russell (Christy) of South Jordan, UT, 18 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Kiefer.
The family wishes to express great appreciation for the kind, attentive care Carlene received at Legacy House of South Jordan and from Aspire Home Health & Hospice. A special thanks to Nurse Kim DeWitt for the love she provided to Carlene. Funeral services will be Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. at the River Ridge 8th Ward chapel, 1409 W Shields Lane (9800 South), in South Jordan, UT. Friends may call Friday, April 22nd, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 S. Redwood Road and at the chapel, Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. prior to the service. Interment – Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 S Highland Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84106.
Meridian Magazine did an article highlighting the humanitarian service trip Lisa was involved with this past summer. It was fun to see some pictures of Lisa included in the article.
Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
You can read the article describing her experiences by clicking here.
Our home sold in one day!
