300 Days (To Ka'anapali)

On July 10 I figured out that there were exactly 300 days until our family trip to Ka'anapali Beach, Maui. (I have some sort of DNA code that causes me to do this kind of thing occasionally.) I used this bit of information as a catalyst to begin (yet again) a weight-loss/get in shape program.

As an incentive to success I informed all of my children about it and now I'm informing my vast audience of blog readers as well.

Every 30 days I'm going to track my weight loss, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and signs of better health. I am also getting back in the pool. Since I started working at the embassy I haven't had the time to do my lap swimming (at least that's been my excuse). I now find the time after work. If there's thunder and lightening after work, as there often is here in Malaysia in the afternoon, I will work out in the gym. (Just rain won't keep me from swimming). Already I'm back to swimming over 1,000 meters. I'm not sure what my goal will be for swimming, but I'm thinking a mile each day or maybe even an hour each day.

This time I am not following any particular diet plan, but am practicing what some have called "Intuitive Eating." I recognize that my eating habits have been unhealthy and misguided. For many years I have skipped breakfast. I'm never hungry in the morning and I convince myself that by skipping breakfast, when I'm not hungry anyway, so much the better for weight loss. I now force myself to at least have a bagel in the morning. (Jillian and Bob would approve, I'm sure). I eat a balanced and nutricious lunch as well. Evening eating has been my downfall. I'm trying to follow the same rules for dinner as for lunch. I'll have a snack of an apple and a handful of nuts after my workout, and some veggies and 4 - 6 oz. of fish or meat. I'm trying to stay away from simple carbs, sugar, flour, starches, etc., but I'm not going to be a Nazi about it. If I want a cookie, I'll have A cookie and try my best not to bend the rules and have a dozen cookies.

I think it's important that this plan will be a priority in my life. I will say "no" more often when asked to do things that would torpedo my plan. My plan is more important to me than being accepting, agreeable, dutiful, even when it comes to things that are also important, but less so. (Requests from Tobi will continue to have an appropriately high priority; marital bliss being of the highest importance ;>)

I feel that I owe it to myself firstly, but also to Tobi, to my children and my grandchildren to be the best husband, father and grandfather (great-grandfather?) that I can be.

Other than my weight I am starting this program in fairly good condition. At my last check-up in November, my doctor said that I have the heart of a lion. I'm still not sure if that was a backhanded compliment considering a lion's diet, but, desiring to keep everything in the best possible light, I didn't ask him. My blood tests indicate that everything is within "normal" ranges and my total cholesterol is 179, with HDL and LDL in a good range as well. My resting pulse rate is below 60 bpm and my BP is about 135/80, although at present both of those factors are influenced by small doses of BP medication. Most of the time I sleep very well for about 6 - 7 hours per night, aided by my C-pap machine. (That's a whole 'nother blog post)

Anyway, that's what I'm up to these days. My first update is due on August 9th at the 270-day mark, so stay tuned.

Scott

Footprints

Dear Candy, June 12, 2011

At the beginning of this letter I want to tell you that I am still praying every night before I go to bed that you will be healed and that you will be able to enjoy many more years with your family and with Tobi and me. I will continue to do that. I do want the Lord's will to be done but these are my prayers and I can ask whatever I want to. And that's what I want more than anything in the world.

As you know, my mother died (almost exactly 7 years ago now) of ovarian cancer and I was with her throughout her last days. If I have a single regret about that time, it wasn't that I didn't tell her I loved her. I did so, many times over, and I know that she knew that. What I regret is that I was expecting a miracle so much that I wouldn't allow myself to talk to her about dying. I felt like, I could either have faith that our prayers and blessings would be answered or I could accept that she was about to leave us. So I never asked her what she was thinking, I never asked if she was scared, I never said goodbye.

So, while still praying for your complete recovery, there are some things that I want to say to you now, because anytime is a good time to say important things to someone you care about.

I remember the first time I met you. I had been on a couple of dates with Tobi, so I believe it was the fall of 1974. Tobi and I were in the Wilkinson Center at BYU where you had a ballroom dancing class. She wanted me to meet you so she took me to the doorway and we watched you dancing for a little while and then you came to the entrance and Tobi introduced us. I thought you were beautiful. You had long straight blonde hair and these striking blue eyes. I was a little shy in those days and may not have made a good impression on you. Little did I know then that we would be in-laws within a year's time.

I don't remember meeting Craig for the first time, maybe his eyes aren't as striking as yours. But we soon became great friends. I very quickly learned to appreciate (??) Craig's sense of humor. You were always concerned that people wouldn't think his jokes and teasing were as funny as he did (few people did). I usually rolled with the punches pretty well and you were constantly saying, "Oh Craig, leave them alone." (Such as with the flashlight "hand checks" at the drive in movies; the good-byes, late at night after a night of games or something when Craig would bid us good bye with "I guess Candy and I will go to bed now, see you guys later;", etc.) But the day I went up to Craig's office in early 1975 and sat down and he asked me what my intentions were regarding Tobi, I had just started my hemming and hawing when you came in the room and threw me a life line, "Oh Craig, leave him alone." I have appreciated all of your many kindnesses to me over the past 37 years, and I have seen that I am not alone. You are kind and thoughtful to everyone.

I want to be sure to tell you how much I appreciate your influence on Tobi. I love Tobi so much and she is so important to me, and you have been such an influence on her life. You have truly been more than just her sister, but her very best friend in the world as well. Tobi loves you so much Candy. I know you know that, but perhaps you don't know that she often tells others how much she loves and admires you as well. Tobi told me just the other day that there's nothing left unsaid or undone between the two of you. That's good; and I know exactly what she means and why that's important to her.

You are an example of faith. I know that family prayer was never missed in your family and I know it has blessed your lives. Many people have commented on your selfless service to others. I keep hearing new stories of the things you have done to give a helping hand when you knew, intuitively, that someone needed it. That's something that I vow to myself that I will do better with. Whenever Tobi tells me that someone needs help, I will do what I can.

It goes without saying that you have been a profound influence on your own kids, but you have also influenced mine, especially my girls. They learned so much from their mom, but they also learned from you. Things like patience, kindness, thoughtfulness, caring, peacemaking. The list is long.

So Candy, I'm going to keep on with my self-serving prayers. If it's not the Lord's will, then I will count on His forgiveness. I just can't imagine living the rest of my life without you in it.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."

For all the footprints,

I love you,

Scott

Easter in Taiping

On Friday at about noon, Tobi and I hooked up our trusty GPS, fired up the CRV, and headed north to Taiping to spend the Easter weekend with a work friend of ours, Tryphena Mathius, and her family. Tryphena is about Jennie's age and is a very friendly and happy girl with a big smile. She came on in the Public Affairs office about 3 months after I did and she kind of adopted me as a surrogate father I think, someone she could go to with questions about work and other problems. She is a very devoted evangelical Christian, belonging to the Assemblies of Christ denomination, and when she found out I was a Christian as well, she would ask me to pray for her whenever she had a big project, etc. to work on. She also offered, very kindly I thought, to pray for our family, Tobi's sister Candy in particular, when she found out about her diagnosis. Anyway, she's a very sweet girl. Jennie and Julia met her when they were here.

It was a very nice 3-hour drive up the peninsula. Malaysia has had more than its share of rain for the past few months, and its share is quite a lot anyway, so the vistas were all very green. Around Ipoh the land starts to get more hilly and there is a bit of a climb after Ipoh going to Taiping, about 45 minutes away.

We stayed in a hotel called the Flemington which is located right next to what we would call a park. They call it Lake Garden. It is beautiful, with small lakes which I later discovered used to be tin mine pits. The whole park is surrounded by these beautiful stately trees that I thought looked like Live Oaks in the southern U.S.A. Turns out they are called Rain Trees (Albizia Saman), which, although they are 50 to 80 feet high and 100 to 150 feet across, are actually related to the pea. Whenever I see something that I like or is interesting, I like to check it out on the internet. They call them Rain Trees because when it rains the leaves close up. They also close up when it starts to get dark in the evening and that's why the Malays call them "Pokok Pukul Lima," or the 5 o'clock tree.

Friday evening we attended a Good Friday service at Tryphena's church. Her father, Philip Mathius, is the Pastor and her younger brother, Phinehas, is the youth pastor and will take over for his father one day. Lots of singing, swaying back and forth, hands up in the air (we kept ours down). Phinehas was the main performer of the hymns and he had 4 girls as back up singers. Tryphena played the synthesizer and they had about 8 little kids up in front swinging flags around in time to the music....sort of. I found their hymns to be quite repetitive and LONG, usually about 7-10 minutes each. It took me back to one of our Sanders Family reunions at Newport Beach when we were subjected to numerous lengthy renditions of "Our God is an Awesome God." Pastor Philip gave a very nice sermon, followed by a tamborine dance in which Tryphena and her sisters, Theophile and Parmena (or was it Tryphosa?) and several other girls played colorful tamborines and danced to some music.

On Saturday morning we went for a walk in the park and between the small lakes, separated by grassy stretches, Tobi saw some movement and pointed. There was a 4-5 foot water monitor

(lizard) ambling towards the water, which he (she?) then swam across to the other side. Tobi seems to be adept at sighting the big lizards. The little geckos are everywhere. Phinehas and Tryphena and another couple, the Chins, came to pick us up for lunch. We went to a Chinese cafe for lunch (very good) and then drove up to the old British club, built in the 1880s. It's called the New Club because it replaced an ever older version, but the building is still essentially the same. It was fun to look around and imagine sitting on the veranda and watching a Cricket match on the field below. "That Harrington fellow is a jolly good bowler don't you think Marshmont?" I actually took pictures of some century-old urinals in the men's WC. (That's water closet for you non-Anglophiles).

Taiping is the wettest spot in all of Malaysia; some say all of SE Asia with about 190 inches of rain per year. And, indeed, it did rain each day we were there, sometimes quite hard. We found Taiping to be a very nice place. It's population is only about 200,000, which is quite small as Malaysian cities go. They say a lot of people come here to retire and I can see the draw.

We got together with the Mathius family that evening for dinner at yet another Chinese restaurant and enjoyed a couple of hours of conversation. Pastor Mathius told us his story, trying to build a small Christian congregation in a Muslim dominated country where the government fights them at every turn. They are not allowed to buy land or property for a church and have been renting a hall in a strip mall for many years. I admire this man's devotion very much. He has worked tirelessly for over 30 years for a congregation of perhaps 100. And he delivers a mean sermon too, which we witnessed on Sunday at the Easter morning services. More Newport hymns,more flag waving, more dancing and tamborine playing. They had a drummer about 10 years old who was really quite good. I had to mention that for Dave's sake. Then Pastor Philip delivered a sermon of about 90 minutes length but which held my attention as he spoke about that Easter morning nearly 2000 years ago, when the faithful women went to the tomb with spices and were told by the angel, "He is not here, but He is risen."

On our way back to KL we experienced some of the hardest rainfall I have ever seen while driving. (There was that one storm in KC though in 1975, which I recall like it was yesterday) The wipers at full speed couldn't keep up with it. We went from one squall to the next, nearly all the way home and had our hazard lights on, as did many of the other cars and trucks, for much of the 4-hour trip.

Another Malaysia memory that will last us the rest of our days. Rain Trees and rain storms on the trip to Taiping.

Love to you all,

Scott

Jennie and Julia Visit Malaysia

For 12 great days in March, 2011, we had our daughters Jennie and Julia with us. This has been in planning for about 9 months and the anticipation just built as the time got closer.

They arrived on Friday, March 4th and we took the day off to go pick them up at the airport which is about an hour drive from our home in downtown Kuala Lumpur. After getting them settled we went and did some grocery shopping to get ready for the weekend.

Saturday was Julia's birthday and it started out with a trip to the Elephant Sanctuary about an hour and a half drive north of KL. We made some sandwiches and took along a lot of water and soda to drink because it was to be a hot day. We watched a strange documentary video about how Malaysia is trying to save elephants from other countries etc. but ended up making you feel sorry for the elephants. The girls got to feed elephants, ride elephants, and get dumped in the river by an elephant. I don't know if this was Julia's best birthday ever, but it may be the most unique.

That night we continued the celebration with some of our best friends, Graham Doxey and Kim and Trip Baker (Kim is Graham's daughter and is about the same age as our daughters). We played Mexican Train and had brownies and ice cream for dessert and sang Happy Birthday to Julia over the brownies.

On Sunday we took the girls to church at our little branch, although that day we were bursting at the seams with about 140 -150 in attendance. Word is that we may be splitting our branch soon, we are at pretty much max capacity for our little building. Everyone was so nice to the girls. Jennie had colored her hair a very light blonde color while Julia's is her natural blonde (she has never colored her hair, her mother would kill her). Anyway everyone wanted to know if Jennie's hair was "real." She said it was real but not the real color. She was sure to mention that Julia's hair was its natural color.

Early Monday morning we took a taxi to the Subang Airport to catch a one-hour flight to Redang Island off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. It's a long time since any of us has flown in a propeller airplane but it was a short flight. Upon arrival we were driven in a van to the jetty where we got on a boat for a 20-minute ride to our resort, Laguna Redang. It's a beautiful place with a nice white-sand beach and a perfect surf for playing in and occasionally getting knocked down by waves.

We had an all-inclusive package which included 3 meals per day. Breakfast was upstairs at a buffet where we could get a variety of Asian and Western dishes (I use the term Western loosely here; beef bacon will do in a pinch but you can't compare it with good old pig bacon). Lunch and Dinner were in the restaurant. We had the same server for every meal, Hafiz, and he took good care of us. The meals were really good and we tried a variety of different things from steaks to pizza to sandwiches, caesar salads, desserts which included lemon cheesecake, chocolate pudding (cake), etc. Very nice.

We had very good weather for the most part. It was usually overcast but there was plenty of sunshine as well. Tuesday it rained nearly all day, but the rest of the time, with the exception of a few occasional showers, it was very nice. One day we took another boat ride to the "marine park" where Tobi and I went snorkeling and the girls spent their time worshipping the sun. There was a sunken ship about 100 yards off shore that Tobi and I swam out to and explored a little bit. Kind of eerie.

In our family we play Rook. It's a legacy from Tobi's side of the family and we all enjoy it. We must have played a dozen Rook games. We switched up the partners each game. Humility won't allow me to tell you who the overall winner was. Also, at least once each day we practiced our songs for the upcoming Sunday fireside at church. Tobi had requested the girls do a musical fireside while here and Julia put together about 10 songs for us to do.

Our trip to Redang was over too quickly and on Saturday the 12th we returned to KL. On the taxi ride home from the airport I had a chance for about an hour to practice my fledgling Malay with the taxi driver. He was very patient with me.

Sunday was Fast Sunday and we had a very nice meeting. Our fireside was scheduled to take place one hour after the meeting and our friend Karen McKinley, unbeknownst to us, had made food for everyone in the branch as an extra enticement to stay for the fireside. I told you we have some amazing friends here. As it turned out we had about 100 people stay and some came from other branches in the district. We all spoke a little bit and introduced the numbers and bore our testimonies. Julia, Jennie and I sang "Nearer My God to Thee," Jennie and I sang "Lord, Are you There?", Julia sang a couple of the songs that she and her music partner wrote, "She Doesn't Know" and "If You Knew Better." ("She Doesn't Know" was a song that Julia wrote for her mom but it had several moms in the audience in tears.) Tobi and I sang "How Great Thou Art," Julia and I sang "Be Still My Soul," Tobi and Julia sang "My Heavenly Father Loves Me," and the program was closed with Jennie and Julia's rendition of "Come Thou Fount." That one brought a few tears to old dad's eyes, as it always does. If you want to listen to some of these songs performed by Julia see her website, juliasandersmusic.com.

We got some very nice compliments from those in attendance. Julia received some attention from a young man in our branch who was very sad to find out that she was leaving in a few days. Tobi and I really enjoyed singing with our girls. It was its own reward. Sunday night we went over to our friends the Curtises and played "Time's Up." Special moment: "Dude, Kangaroo." (Ask Jennie)

On Monday Tobi took the girls shopping at Chinatown. They came home with some great bargains on Rolex watches, Valentino and Marc Jacobs bags, and Tiffany jewelry. Really great bargains indeed. That evening we had dinner at the McKinleys home and the girls had the chance to meet Scott and Karen, our close friends, and their children, Daniel, Joseph and Rachel.

Tuesday it was back to Chinatown for some last minute items. Tobi and the girls walked over to the embassy in the afternoon and we had fun showing them off to all our co-workers. I must admit a little wicked pride in seeing people's eyes go wide and jaws drop when they see my beautiful girls. And I also enjoyed having them meet some of my close friends at the embassy. That night we went to one of our favorite Chinese restaurants, the very aptly named "Mae Keng Fatt," where we enjoyed the evening with Tobi's co-workers in the Legal Attache Office, Greg and Karyn Gilmartin, Jack and Miranda Liao and their 3 cute kids, and Grace and Adam Everleigh. These are all great people and great friends.

Wednesday morning we were off to the airport to start them off on their long trip home. We miss them so much. I think part of it is that we don't have any more plans to see my side of the family until we go home for good next March. We are so glad they came and experienced the far side of the world with us for a few days, and had the chance to meet some of the best people in the world over here.

Tobi and I are planning to travel to China the first week of April. We'll see the Terracotta Warriors, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, etc. etc. etc. Expect another post following that trip.

Love you all,

Scott and Tobi

Jennie and Julia Visit Malaysia

For 12 great days in March, 2011, we had our daughters Jennie and Julia with us. This has been in planning for about 9 months and the anticipation just built as the time got closer.

They arrived on Friday, March 4th and we took the day off to go pick them up at the airport which is about an hour drive from our home in downtown Kuala Lumpur. After getting them settled we went and did some grocery shopping to get ready for the weekend.

Saturday was Julia's birthday and it started out with a trip to the Elephant Sanctuary about an hour and a half drive north of KL. We made some sandwiches and took along a lot of water and soda to drink because it was to be a hot day. We watched a strange documentary video about how Malaysia is trying to save elephants from other countries etc. but ended up making you feel sorry for the elephants. The girls got to feed elephants, ride elephants, and get dumped in the river by an elephant. I don't know if this was Julia's best birthday ever, but it may be the most unique.

That night we continued the celebration with some of our best friends, Graham Doxey and Kim and Trip Baker (Kim is Graham's daughter and is about the same age as our daughters). We played Mexican Train and had brownies and ice cream for dessert and sang Happy Birthday to Julia over the brownies.

On Sunday we took the girls to church at our little branch, although that day we were bursting at the seams with about 140 -150 in attendance. Word is that we may be splitting our branch soon, we are at pretty much max capacity for our little building. Everyone was so nice to the girls. Jennie had colored her hair a very light blonde color while Julia's is her natural blonde (she has never colored her hair, her mother would kill her). Anyway everyone wanted to know if Jennie's hair was "real." She said it was real but not the real color. She was sure to mention that Julia's hair was its natural color.

Early Monday morning we took a taxi to the Subang Airport to catch a one-hour flight to Redang Island off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. It's a long time since any of us has flown in a propeller airplane but it was a short flight. Upon arrival we were driven in a van to the jetty where we got on a boat for a 20-minute ride to our resort, Laguna Redang. It's a beautiful place with a nice white-sand beach and a perfect surf for playing in and occasionally getting knocked down by waves.

We had an all-inclusive package which included 3 meals per day. Breakfast was upstairs at a buffet where we could get a variety of Asian and Western dishes (I use the term Western loosely here; beef bacon will do in a pinch but you can't compare it with good old pig bacon). Lunch and Dinner were in the restaurant. We had the same server for every meal, Hafiz, and he took good care of us. The meals were really good and we tried a variety of different things from steaks to pizza to sandwiches, caesar salads, desserts which included lemon cheesecake, chocolate pudding (cake), etc. Very nice.

We had very good weather for the most part. It was usually overcast but there was plenty of sunshine as well. Tuesday it rained nearly all day, but the rest of the time, with the exception of a few occasional showers, it was very nice. One day we took another boat ride to the "marine park" where Tobi and I went snorkeling and the girls spent their time worshipping the sun. There was a sunken ship about 100 yards off shore that Tobi and I swam out to and explored a little bit. Kind of eerie.

In our family we play Rook. It's a legacy from Tobi's side of the family and we all enjoy it. We must have played a dozen Rook games. We switched up the partners each game. Humility won't allow me to tell you who the overall winner was. Also, at least once each day we practiced our songs for the upcoming Sunday fireside at church. Tobi had requested the girls do a musical fireside while here and Julia put together about 10 songs for us to do.

Our trip to Redang was over too quickly and on Saturday the 12th we returned to KL. On the taxi ride home from the airport I had a chance for about an hour to practice my fledgling Malay with the taxi driver. He was very patient with me.

Sunday was Fast Sunday and we had a very nice meeting. Our fireside was scheduled to take place one hour after the meeting and our friend Karen McKinley, unbeknownst to us, had made food for everyone in the branch as an extra enticement to stay for the fireside. I told you we have some amazing friends here. As it turned out we had about 100 people stay and some came from other branches in the district. We all spoke a little bit and introduced the numbers and bore our testimonies. Julia, Jennie and I sang "Nearer My God to Thee," Jennie and I sang "Lord, Are you There?", Julia sang a couple of the songs that she and her music partner wrote, "She Doesn't Know" and "If You Knew Better." ("She Doesn't Know" was a song that Julia wrote for her mom but it had several moms in the audience in tears.) Tobi and I sang "How Great Thou Art," Julia and I sang "Be Still My Soul," Tobi and Julia sang "My Heavenly Father Loves Me," and the program was closed with Jennie and Julia's rendition of "Come Thou Fount." That one brought a few tears to old dad's eyes, as it always does. If you want to listen to some of these songs performed by Julia see her website, juliasandersmusic.com.

We got some very nice compliments from those in attendance. Julia received some attention from a young man in our branch who was very sad to find out that she was leaving in a few days. Tobi and I really enjoyed singing with our girls. It was its own reward. Sunday night we went over to our friends the Curtises and played "Time's Up." Special moment: "Dude, Kangaroo." (Ask Jennie)

On Monday Tobi took the girls shopping at Chinatown. They came home with some great bargains on Rolex watches, Valentino and Marc Jacobs bags, and Tiffany jewelry. Really great bargains indeed. That evening we had dinner at the McKinleys home and the girls had the chance to meet Scott and Karen, our close friends, and their children, Daniel, Joseph and Rachel.

Tuesday it was back to Chinatown for some last minute items. Tobi and the girls walked over to the embassy in the afternoon and we had fun showing them off to all our co-workers. I must admit a little wicked pride in seeing people's eyes go wide and jaws drop when they see my beautiful girls. And I also enjoyed having them meet some of my close friends at the embassy. That night we went to one of our favorite Chinese restaurants, the very aptly named "Mae Keng Fatt," where we enjoyed the evening with Tobi's co-workers in the Legal Attache Office, Greg and Karyn Gilmartin, Jack and Miranda Liao and their 3 cute kids, and Grace and Adam Everleigh. These are all great people and great friends.

Wednesday morning we were off to the airport to start them off on their long trip home. We miss them so much. I think part of it is that we don't have any more plans to see my side of the family until we go home for good next March. We are so glad they came and experienced the far side of the world with us for a few days, and had the chance to meet some of the best people in the world over here.

Tobi and I are planning to travel to China the first week of April. We'll see the Terracotta Warriors, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, etc. etc. etc. Expect another post following that trip.

Love you all,

Scott and Tobi

December 2010

I keep checking our blog to see what's new with us but Tobi hasn't written anything. I guess it's my turn.........again.........

We had a fantastic trip home in November. We left Kuala Lumpur just after midnight on my birthday, November 10th. It was probably my most memorable (and longest) birthday ever. Between midnight November 9-10, until midnight November 10-11 I spent time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Paris, France; and Salt Lake City, Utah. How many people can say that they spent their birthday on three continents? Or that it lasted 39 hours.

We were greeted at the airport by Dane, Annie and their 3 girls, Leah (6), Bella (4) and Giada (2), and that evening we had a mini-reunion of all of our kids.

On Friday, the 12th we drove down to St. George to visit with Nolan and Treo and little Jaylee (2) and we were introduced to our newest grandson, Kash Christian Sanders, who was born in July. Jennie and Brock and their boys, Jace (5) and Nixon (2) and little Leila (who I also met for the first time) joined us for the trip, as did Julia and my sister, Robyn and her husband Craig. We had a great 3 days in St. George, saw Nolan with his primary class in his ward's Primary program, found the grave of my Great Great Grandfather, Moses Martin Sanders in the St. George cemetery, and climbed around on some of the red hills behind St. George with my grandsons Jace and Nixon and their dad Brock.

For the past several years (say 10 to 15) I have been wanting to rebuild the wooden steps that go down from our back deck to the ground. They weren't built very well originally and have deteriorated over the years to where someone was eventually going to get hurt (most likely me). So when I got back from St. George, I went right out back and tore them out. Being thusly committed to rebuilding them I made several trips to Home Depot to buy materials. (I'm not a one-trip-to-the-hardware-store kind of guy. After I cut the first 2x12 board too short I needed another one, etc.) Anyway, the result before I left the U.S., was a brand new staircase out back that is firm and solid, with perfectly even steps and rails that don't wobble. I invite all of you to go try them out. Dane will finish the job by painting them in the spring when the weather warms up sufficiently.

We had a Sanders Family Thanksgiving Reunion that was very memorable thanks to the hard work and planning of my Sister Robyn. We all met at Aspen Grove, which is located up Provo Canyon near the Sundance Ski Resort. We had an entire floor of a lodge to ourselves with rooms for each family/couple and a great room and kitchen centrally located. When we arrived at around 5pm on November 24th the temperature was already below 0 degrees Fahrenheit and by the time the late arrivals got there it was about 10 below. The next morning was Thanksgiving and my son Justin had planned a traditional Turkey Bowl football game. It had snowed about a foot during the night and so that was a very cold affair.

Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous. We had three turkeys and all the stuffing, potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and umpteen kinds of pies to eat. We could have lasted through Saturday just on leftovers, but we didn't.

Robyn and Ron had planned some really fun games and activities for us, including a game in which you had to try to pick up a paper grocery bag with your teeth while standing on one foot. Nearly everyone made a valiant effort, and quite a few succeeded. They were rewarded with the same challenge after cutting 2 inches off the top of the bag. The game proceeded like that until there was literally one centimeter left, and three people actually managed to pick up the bag, thus shortened. Abby Cates (my nephew Brian Cates's wife), my daughter Jennie, and my son Dane. Abby and Jennie are understandable, they being young and lithe, but Dane, although young, is somewhat shy of lithe.

My dad was there overseeing the whole shootin' match. I think he especially enjoyed seeing all the little great-grandkids running around and getting to know one another. I know my granddaughters, Leah and Bella found a soulmate in Whitney Cates.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Robyn's son, Joshua and his fiance Kira were married in the Draper Temple. Many of us left Aspen Grove on Friday night so that we could make it to the ceremony and it was well worth it. They make a very happy and beautiful couple.

Tobi departed on Sunday the 28th of November to fly to Houston to see her sister Candy, who is undergoing chemo treatments for ovarian cancer. She reported back that Candy is doing remarkably well and is very upbeat and lifts everyone's spirits. In other words, Candy is just being Candy, minus the hair. Tobi makes sure that we never miss mentioning her in our prayers.

On December 3rd we got on the plane to head back to Malaysia, our second home. We have people here that we have come to love very deeply. The fact that we only have about another 15 months here causes us to think about how much we will miss it when we leave.

I must have good friends in a lot of countries that I have never been to. Maybe I'll meet them one day.

That's all for now. I'll try to load some pictures later.

Love from the other side of the world,

Scott

October

It seems it's been awhile since we posted a blog. It's actually Tobi's turn, but I'll take another one. As I write, it's only a month until we get to go home for nearly a month. We leave here on November 9th and arrive home on November 10th. That's my birthday and I couldn't think of a better birthday present. Family at home, please don't get me anything, it will be a great day just to see all of you and hug you and have a family get-together. I haven't seen anyone in my family for a year this month. I can't wait to meet Leila for the first time (Jennie's new baby girl), and a couple of days after we arrive, we're heading down to St. George to spend some time with Nolan, Treo, Jaylee and new little boy, Kash. By the way, we've booked a 2 bedroom unit at the Worldmark in St. George, and if anyone would like to go down with us, we'd love the company.

We were really knocked for a loop a couple of months ago when we found out that Tobi's sister, Candy, who is only 13 months younger than Tobi and with whom she is very close, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. When they did the tests it was determined to be Stage IIIC, which, if you read the material online, you get a very dismal prognosis report. She had about 6 hours of surgery during which they removed nearly all of the cancer, which had spread to other locations in her abdomen. She is now undergoing chemotherapy and the trials that that procedure entails.

Tobi went to spend a week with Candy in September just after her return from the hospital after surgery and had a great time talking to Candy and two other sisters, Tami and Vicki who were there during Tobi's stay. Candy, as we who know her have come to expect, was very upbeat and almost seemed like her old self, but with a tendency to get tired which is very uncommon to her.

It's hard to express how much this has affected us. Tobi, as you would expect, has been affected the most, and has been in tears a number of times, but it has hit me pretty hard too. Candy and Craig have been such good friends of mine and Tobi's since before any of us were married. After they were married and Tobi and I were dating, we used to go on double dates and Craig would torment us at the end of the night as we would leave them at their door. Craig would put his arms around Candy and say something like, "Good night you two, guess we'll go to bed now." (with a big smile on his face) Candy would say, "Craig, don't be mean."

Later, when Tobi and I were getting serious, Craig called me to meet him at his little office on campus and when I came in and sat down, Craig said, "So tell me Scott, what are your intentions with Tobi?" I started to hem and haw and stutter, and at that very moment, Candy walked in and said, "Craig, leave Scott alone." I will always be grateful for Candy saving me in that troublesome moment.

The week before we got married we spent on Tobi's family's houseboat on Lake McClure in California. At night we all slept in sleeping bags on the roof, under the stars and, of course, as the protectors of our virtue, Craig and Candy laid their sleeping bags in between mine and Tobi's.

We have had 35 years of memories since then, and through them all, Candy and Craig have been not only family, but among our very best friends as well. I just can't stand the thought of Candy being sick or suffering in any way. It hurts me very deeply and I have shed my share of tears about it as well.

We had thought that we would be here for another 2 and 1/2 years. Tobi had requested a one year extension which would have kept us here until April of 2013, but the wonderful Salt Lake City FBI office denied Tobi's extension request. Seems they need her back, probably to fill the #1 secretary role in the office when the incumbent retires in about a year or so. So, in order to fill that position for one year (Tobi retires in June 2013), they are denying Tobi's wishes to stay here. The only way to foil their plans would be for Tobi to put in for another Legat position in another country, but she would have to choose a country that is a lower tier than Malaysia. So we are thinking that we'll just come home, have Tobi serve out her year and I'll try to find another job in SLC.

We can't wait to see you all. And if we don't get to see you all this time, then we'll be home in April of 2012.

Love from the far side of the world,

Scott