So my sister-in-law SusieQ reminded me today that I DO INDEED have a blog and it has been a pretty darn long time since I visited it. I'd forgotten all about it- imagine that! I guess its time for a quick catch up since February. In the past four months we sold our house and moved into a rental (to try to figure out what we want to do when we grow up), welcomed our first grand baby into the world, witnessed our son Will receive his mission call to Rapid City South Dakota, celebrated seven birthdays (Louise, Will, Julie, Jordan, Steve, Gentry, Andrew) took a couple of trips to CA and another to VA and NY, got released from the bishopric and celebrated the 4th of July- to name just the highlights. Woaaaaaa! Let me slow down and take a breath and recap in more detail.
Yes, in a very down market we managed to sell our little house in Highland. Now if we could just sell our building lot! As we are renting a house just down the street, we frequently pass our old house. Everytime we do, Ashby cries and points and says "I want go my house, dat my house! Don't like new house, hate dat new house!" I don't blame her. Its been a hard move for all of us. But Steve frequently reminds me that difficulties always have silver linings. I'm still waiting for that lining to appear! When we first moved into the rental, the owners were still in the process of fixing it up. We didn't have carpet or toilets for a week. Lucky for me it was the week of spring break. I took the kiddos and went to CA for a visit. I don't know how poor Steve managed while we were gone. That man is one heck-of-a-stud!
The day after we returned to UT, beautiful granddaughter Olivia was born. We went to visit Cam and Julie at the hospital and fell in love with the precious little bundle in an instant. It was a curious feeling to be "passing the torch" to the next generation. Especially since it had been Steve and I welcoming our own little girl into the world only two and a half years ago. There should be a little more time between the birth of one's children and one's grandchildren, shouldn't there? But a baby is a miracle and a blessing no matter how old you are and we love all our kiddos more than they'll ever know!
When Will submitted his paperwork for his mission call we were told it would take one and a half to two and a half weeks to get the call. So we didn't expect it the first week. As I am a real procrastinator when it comes to getting the mail from the box (its always just bills and junk mail anyway!) I didn't even bother to check it on Wednesday or Thursday. At dinner Thursday night we were all talking about when Will's call might come, I was sure it wouldn't be until the following week. But he decided to go get the mail that had accumulated anyway. He came back a few minutes later bearing a big white envelope from SLC. We wanted as many people as possible to be able to call in on a conference call to listen to him read the letter. So poor Will had to wait until Friday night at 6:30 pm a whole additional day, to open the envelope that would determine his life for the next two years. I don't know how he did it, but he waited! Talk about self control!!
We are so excited for Will and this sacred opportunity to do the Lord's work. He will most likely be spending a lot of time on Indian reservations. A few days later we were reading in Enos 1:13-18 as he pleaded with the Father:
"13 And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of him—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation—
14 For at the present our strugglings were vain in restoring them to the true faith. And they swore in their wrath that, if it were possible, they would destroy our records and us, and also all the traditions of our fathers.
15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to preserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
16 And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.
17 And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest.
18 And the Lord said unto me: Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine."
As we read these words there came into my heart a precious witness that the work that Will is to do in South Dakota is a direct blessing in response to the humble prayers of a prophet of the Lord over 2400 years ago. Truly the Lord works miracles and keeps all His promises to His children. William, we love you and we are so proud of you and the preparation that you've made in your life to be chosen for this special assignment to serve.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
All Quiet on the Western Front
FINALLY, the wee ones and the Man of the House are tucked snugly in bed, all snoring in unison. The young men (William the Conqueror and his noble sidekick Derek) are, of course, wielding swords and such on the battle field of the planet WOW. So I have few moments to listen to the silence. . .
I know I complain about the snow, and I do hate long, cold winters! Well, really I don't like ANYTHING colder than 50 degrees F for more than 15 minutes at a stretch . . . But there is something exquisite about a golden pink dawn spreading across the sky, mirrored in the snow below. Even the clouds look like giant snow banks piled by some heavenly snowshovel busily clearing a path for the sun god in his chariot.
We're so close to the mouth of the canyon that the mountain peaks jut up from the flatland breathtakingly close- grey and sharp and ancient, bearded in white. I can look out across the tree-studded, snow-encrusted wonderland behind our home and count the deer bedding down under the evergreens. They like to shelter under those branches piled thick with snow. The other morning the kids and I watched them watching us- mildly curious, stretching after a long night- until Max ran barking into the yard for his morning ritual. Then they bounced gracefully away over the snow. "Look Mom, they're prancing." Gentry said.
I've got to remember to make time for those small, precious moments. I've got a desk piled high with bills and paperwork and a "to do" list with items that are 17 weeks overdue (thanks Outlook! I really needed to be reminded that I'm that far behind . . .) and the laundry, well laundry is like a virus, just leave it alone for awhile in a warm dark place and it multiplies like crazy. I swear it doubles every 3-4 hours if left unchecked. But simple, joyful moments are hard won and often neglected in the crush of duty. I'm afraid that if I don't herald them they will simply slip by unnoticed and all that will be left to remember at the close of day is a long string of tasks I've done (or hoped to do) and get to repeat tomorrow.
So I think I'll take a moment a recall the joys that came my way this day:
1- The soft as featherdown brush of my daughter's hair on my cheek when she put her plump little arms tight around my neck and gave me a big juicy monkey kiss.
2- My amazement at hearing my six year old sing every line of the ballad "The Wabash Cannonball" in his clear sweet young boy voice.
3- The love that filled my heart when I looked at my husband down the aisle at Costco and was reminded that he's one heck of a good man and pretty darn sexy too!
4- How much I enjoyed hearing Will and Derek laughing together as they did the dishes. I love having big kids in the house. They add such an element of depth and interest to all the goings on.
5- Max waiting eagerly for someone, anyone to play with, so ready and willing to love and be loved- reminding me of how simple it is to reach out to others with friendly enthusiasm.
I know I complain about the snow, and I do hate long, cold winters! Well, really I don't like ANYTHING colder than 50 degrees F for more than 15 minutes at a stretch . . . But there is something exquisite about a golden pink dawn spreading across the sky, mirrored in the snow below. Even the clouds look like giant snow banks piled by some heavenly snowshovel busily clearing a path for the sun god in his chariot.
We're so close to the mouth of the canyon that the mountain peaks jut up from the flatland breathtakingly close- grey and sharp and ancient, bearded in white. I can look out across the tree-studded, snow-encrusted wonderland behind our home and count the deer bedding down under the evergreens. They like to shelter under those branches piled thick with snow. The other morning the kids and I watched them watching us- mildly curious, stretching after a long night- until Max ran barking into the yard for his morning ritual. Then they bounced gracefully away over the snow. "Look Mom, they're prancing." Gentry said.
I've got to remember to make time for those small, precious moments. I've got a desk piled high with bills and paperwork and a "to do" list with items that are 17 weeks overdue (thanks Outlook! I really needed to be reminded that I'm that far behind . . .) and the laundry, well laundry is like a virus, just leave it alone for awhile in a warm dark place and it multiplies like crazy. I swear it doubles every 3-4 hours if left unchecked. But simple, joyful moments are hard won and often neglected in the crush of duty. I'm afraid that if I don't herald them they will simply slip by unnoticed and all that will be left to remember at the close of day is a long string of tasks I've done (or hoped to do) and get to repeat tomorrow.
So I think I'll take a moment a recall the joys that came my way this day:
1- The soft as featherdown brush of my daughter's hair on my cheek when she put her plump little arms tight around my neck and gave me a big juicy monkey kiss.
2- My amazement at hearing my six year old sing every line of the ballad "The Wabash Cannonball" in his clear sweet young boy voice.
3- The love that filled my heart when I looked at my husband down the aisle at Costco and was reminded that he's one heck of a good man and pretty darn sexy too!
4- How much I enjoyed hearing Will and Derek laughing together as they did the dishes. I love having big kids in the house. They add such an element of depth and interest to all the goings on.
5- Max waiting eagerly for someone, anyone to play with, so ready and willing to love and be loved- reminding me of how simple it is to reach out to others with friendly enthusiasm.
Whammo What a Week!
So this week seemed like as good a week as any to start a blog- it has been quite a doosy! Monday heralded a series of most unfortunate events with a fantastic snowstorm and poor Will got in a good fender bender on the way to work. Of course we told him to take the i30 because it was safer in the snow than his little skittish toyota pickup. In retrospect, we wished he'd banged up the truck!
Monday night we invited all the kiddos over for FHE. We did dinner and had big plans to race Wheely Kings in the church auditorium, not realizing of course, that the whole church is under automatic lock down beginning at 6:00pm on Monday nights so people will be sure to hold- yep! Family Home Evening! The menfolk were brave enough to go ahead and race their intrepid 4 wheeled monsters on the street in front of our house snow and all, with only car headlights to see by. Us womenfolk stayed in the house and ate brownies!
A pretty righteous flu struck our home like a bat out of hell at precisely4:48am Wednesday morning. Gentry, Ashby and I woke up simultaneously aching all over as if we'd been beaten soundly with a club. Our heads ached, our limbs felt like 50 lb lead weights, our eyeballs burned in their sockets. For the next three days we hardly dragged ourselves out of bed. Thank goodness Cam left a bunch of DVD's for us to watch, otherwise we'd all have gone nuts! Poor Steve, who's already been fighting his own personal battle with a plethora of nasty germs for the last two weeks, had to wait on us and try to work as well. My dear visiting teacher, Sister Pat Romney brought us some delicious soup and breadsticks and thus staved off certain starvation!
On Friday Will's clutch went out on his truck and he came down sick too . . . Just too much good stuff!
Monday night we invited all the kiddos over for FHE. We did dinner and had big plans to race Wheely Kings in the church auditorium, not realizing of course, that the whole church is under automatic lock down beginning at 6:00pm on Monday nights so people will be sure to hold- yep! Family Home Evening! The menfolk were brave enough to go ahead and race their intrepid 4 wheeled monsters on the street in front of our house snow and all, with only car headlights to see by. Us womenfolk stayed in the house and ate brownies!
A pretty righteous flu struck our home like a bat out of hell at precisely4:48am Wednesday morning. Gentry, Ashby and I woke up simultaneously aching all over as if we'd been beaten soundly with a club. Our heads ached, our limbs felt like 50 lb lead weights, our eyeballs burned in their sockets. For the next three days we hardly dragged ourselves out of bed. Thank goodness Cam left a bunch of DVD's for us to watch, otherwise we'd all have gone nuts! Poor Steve, who's already been fighting his own personal battle with a plethora of nasty germs for the last two weeks, had to wait on us and try to work as well. My dear visiting teacher, Sister Pat Romney brought us some delicious soup and breadsticks and thus staved off certain starvation!
On Friday Will's clutch went out on his truck and he came down sick too . . . Just too much good stuff!
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