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

Take a Breath

Some people say, "I cannot wait until my kids grow up and I don't have to worry about them all of the time!" I say to those folks, "Don't wish your life away. They grow up and get bigger grown-up problems!"

It seems that each one of my children is going through some sort of trial at this time,whether it be struggling to finish school (i.e. PAY for school), looking a new job, struggling with where to move and what the future holds, or healing from injuries. A few of the kids fit in more than one of these categories! As their mother I worry about them and pray for them day and night. Last night/this morning I was awake until around 3:00 doing just that. Praise be to our loving Father in Heaven that one of those worries has just ended!

I just received this text message:

 Dee & I with our Sarah as she received her Master's degree at BYU a few years back.

 I am so incredibly happy for my Sarah! It has been a long road and we have missed her terribly as she has lived in Toronto to get this degree. She will stay on with the University and work for them until December and then...? Prayers for her to find a good job would be a really appreciated thing right now!

Another thing that made me happy this last week was the ordination of our son Richard to the Melchizedek Priesthood in our church. He holds the office of Elder and has taken it on with grace and gratitude. He is such a good young man and I am excited to see what he will do in the future! He has made his mother very proud!

Here he is with the men who were there for the ordination. These men have been such a good influence on Richard and we are so grateful for them.They are home teachers, Young Men Leaders, Bishopric members and friends.

Left to Right-Bryan Barron, Dave Cluff, Scott Glazier, Dee & Richard, Bishop Scott Miller, James Rich, Dan Court, & Bryant Jenks

Dee's father Bob was there in his heart. He was at home in Washington taking care of Dee's mother Felicia who is very ill with pneumonia. My own father was felt in spirit quite powerfully. These two men are so important to us and love Richard very much. I am grateful for all of them and for all of you who have supported Richard as we have struggled to get on top of his O.C.D. and anxiety. He is doing very well thanks to the prayers and love of many.

I feel like I can step back and take a breath...just a little one!

Wildfire and Fireworks: Part I

Naturally Diana's baby shower trumped coverage of the 4th of July but here we go with the Family Fourth Extravaganza! well, we celebrated, at least!

The week began normally enough. Hot, hot days and lots of sunshine. On Tuesday I was returning from Orem where I received an amazing neck traction massage and a great spinal crunch at Dr. King and his Utah Physiatry Clinic. I was feeling good, the traffic on I-15 was smooth, then I saw this as I exited the freeway...

That little plume of smoke was the "Quail Fire" just beginning. It seems a bulldozer or backhoe at a construction site sparked it. By the time I got home a few minutes later it looked like this from our kitchen window...

Only about 20 minutes later it was forcing evacuations in the city of Alpine. It raged out of control for two days making many people homeless for awhile. Fortunately it only burned one structure, a large barn, thanks to the hard work of many firefighters.

 I caught these shots later that same day as I took Rachel to work out at Thanksgiving Point. (She's got a new job at the Deli out there!) The whole mountainside went up like the dry tinder that it was.

 I borrowed the next photo from a friend's Facebook post. That's the Mt. Timpanogos Temple with the fire raging behind. It looks very close but was really far enough away to not be a concern to us in American Fork.

It's an awesome sight, is it not? I love the symbolism I see in this picture. The storms of life may rage around us but there is safety in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the temple covenants we make.

The community of Suncrest up on Traverse Mountain was standing by for evacuations too. It was quite a night.  Rachel was kept busy all evening at the Deli feeding  Alpine evacuees who were filling the two hotels out at the Point.

The next morning the 4th of July dawned bright and hot. Would there be anything left growing on those beautiful hills?

Stay tuned...