No Time Traveling Today

Sorry I missed posting for a couple of weeks. The Master and I went to Los Angeles for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Swimming and Diving championships. It was a lovely week of record high temperatures for the LA area and I ate it up! Mornings working out in the hotel gym (I was so proud of Me!) and mid-mornings of lounging by the pool reading were my agenda. I'd wait for the coaches to bring the athletes back from the morning's prelims and then my cute husband and I would go for a lunch date every day! We drove around a bit and looked at local neighborhoods, houses are a favorite pass-time of mine, and we shopped at the local mall. At the end of the week our men won the conferences championships once again and all of the coaches went into the pool to celebrate! That last night, Dee started coughing. It was a rough night. We had to be up and out at 8:00 am to drive to the Long Beach Airport. On the drive there I noticed that my throat was a bit sore. By the time our flight landed in Salt Lake I just wanted to crawl into bed. Dee and I coughed, didn't sleep, and were miserable for the next week. He got it worse than I, as he tends to have things like bronchitis turn into pneumonia. The second week in, he was still coughing so hard he pulled muscles in his rib cage. I was blessed to recover and be able to take care of him but I was still so weary. Late in the second week Dee's parents arrived at our home with a moving van pulling a large trailer and all of their earthly possessions. They have moved from their home of 24 years, Puyallup, WA, and returned to Utah Valley where they once lived. It's been an ordeal for them as my Mom-in-law says, "people in their 80's should never move!" They are now nicely settled into an apartment and will look for a home in the coming months. I wish we had felt better and could have done more for them, but the kids helped and so did new neighbors. We have already enjoyed fun outings and Sunday dinners with Granni and Papa, who we haven't lived near since the year 2000.

We have been through a pretty rough last weekend. My dear brother-in-law Steve has been layed-off from yet another job. I have lost count over the years. I don't even think he and my sister know anymore. He is so skilled at what he does, and is at the point where employers would rather hire someone younger who wouldn't require as much salary. It's an economy driven job, and he got caught in a cycle of being hired, layed-off, over and over. Now he can only find contract work. It pays very well but there are no benefits. Sometimes those contracts last for months, sometimes not. He has even lived away from home for months at a time just to be able to work. The stress and worry are about to kill both of them. I don't know what to say to them anymore except that I love them and I know God does too. Through all of these unstable years they've never gone hungry or lost their home. He has always been there for them. Some health insurance and retirement would be nice though.

My 92 year old mother lives in their home. This last Saturday she suffered another mini-stroke and spent the night in the hospital. Mortality and reality have a way of smacking me in the face lately. I worry for her health and I don't want to think about life without her. She's home and happy but it sure takes a lot out of her. We have varying troubles in our own little family, among my children, ranging from need for employment or direction in life, to unfulfilled dreams and expectations. I have prayed and poured my heart out to the Lord in the last few days. They have been prayers for miracles and mercy and peace. I couldn't sleep last night. I cried a lot. I  dozed for awhile and awoke way too early with a killer headache, but I fully intended to sit down and type out another Time Travel Tuesday for my family. Then I saw what I'd be typing next in my Grandma's story and I don't need that sorrow right now. I'll save it for a Tuesday coming up.

Until then, please know that I KNOW that God lives. He knows each one of us intimately. It seems like prayers aren't heard or answered quite often lately. I cannot pretend to know why certain of us have certain trials, and why they last for years. All I know is that He is there to comfort and lift us up. The Savior bore it all for us and can calm our hearts with his perfect empathy. Don't ever give up the good fight! "The Son of Man hath descended below the all. Art thou greater than he?...There fore fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."  Doctrine & Covenants 122:8-9

I'm holding tight to that promise