Dear Friend

I stopped by my friend, Kim's house last week.  She was having a

scrapbooking party.  The grandchildren come over with their moms and

color and cut and paste pictures.  (Kim is a school teacher and

school was in session in her kitchen.)

These are five of her six daughters.  I was struck by their

beauty and how down to earth they are.  They love their mom.

These aren't all the grandchildren.  I asked how many and I think she

said 17?  But no one seemed to be able to tell me where the

ones that were missing were. 

Kim is an only daughter and was very close to her mom, Jerry.

Jerry passed away in the early 80's.  She would be so pleased

to see this group of beautiful granddaughters and their children.

Kim has been my best friend since I was a Junior and she was a Sophomore in high school.

I remember when we decided.  She liked a boy from Snowflake and

one day after school she was talking with him and then he just

turned and walked away.  She came and found me and we watched

him walk out of sight.  We just and laughed and laughed for some

reason and then we walked back into the building and just said to each other that

we liked each other and ought to be best friends.  And it has been

best friends since then.

We don't get together enough.  We both agree on that.  When we

do meet she treats me like I am the best.  Hey I am!  I am her best friend.

Forecast: Rain

Chocolate chip cookies and a front porch anyone?

Jill's couch

Jill had one too many couches to move to Arkansas so we bought it from her.  I love it!

So does Scout. 

How does she even know that it wasn't there yesterday.

She just thinks we bring stuff home for her comfort and joy.

I missed the party :(

When Quinn was staying with us he made this invitation to his

birthday party.  It was amazing that he found it on line and

knew how to select and print it.  The front side has a Star Wars theme.

I just think the inside is worth saving.  Especially the details.  Let me translate.

Details: Eat Pizza & Play.  If you are a grown up you

can talk if you would like.

Priceless.

Been there. Done that.

Yesterday we walked across the street to our neighbors whose son and wife are moving back east to work.  David went to the men who were loading the trailers.  (they said that we must have been watching and saw that they were almost finished and decided it was time to make our move.....how did they know?) 

I went and talked to the mom.  It only took about 2 minutes before she started crying.    Her heart is breaking to see them leave.  So we talked.  She told me how she is beginning to realize that they all leave and you are left with an empty house and no purpose or sense of identity.   It is like the rudder of the ship that has been cut free and you are adrift. It is such a confusing and fearful feeling.   I HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT!  My heart went out to her.  I think she felt relieved to know that she wasn't the only one that felt this way.  In times like this I always wish I had the magic advise or thoughts that could make someone feel better on the spot.

I do have experience and  have learned a couple of things from these past couple of years.  And this is what I have learned:

1) No matter what you can't change this.  It is best to just accept it.  Except change.

2) Let time pass.

3) Don't wait until your child leaves to find a hobby or interest.  

4) Remember you are married.  You and your husband were once a couple.  And you are again.

5) Let time pass.

6) Remember your parents.   Better yet remember you....remember how you were ready
    to spread your wings.  Your parents let you go.  You have to do the same.

7) Let time pass.

8) Serve others.  There is always someone with troubles greater than yours.

9) Spend money on yourself.  This is a pleasant change from spending it on your kids.

10) Pray

11) Did I say let time pass?

I hope some of this works for me.  Time to let Jill leave....again.

Has it really been 30 years?

This September we will have lived in our home for 30 years!  David and I don't move.  We visited Jill and John on Friday and their house is full of boxes.  I can't imagine us going through our things and packing them for a move.  I do not want to do that.  I never have.

When we first married we both had the same dream about our home.  It was never bigger and better and then bigger and better again.  It was a modest home where we could raise a family and contain the memories in one place.  David moved around his sophomore year of high school and struggled with all that goes with that.  I on the other hand lived in one house.  My parents divorced and I stayed with my mom in the house I grew up in.  I always maintain that living in that one home helped me feel a sense of safety and security.  So for totally different reasons we wanted one home for our family.  David because of the lack of familiar surroundings and mine because of familiar surroundings.

Our home in early fall 1987                                                               

 Fall 2008

I have friends with beautiful homes.  I love them.  But I can always come home and love what I have.  (especially if I walk into it and it is clean and organized).  Every now and then we will want to make a little change.  Like right now we want to move one of our sheds to the other side of the backyard.  The shed has been there for the 30 years.  It was only this year that it seemed like a smart idea to move it over there....open up the spot for a BBQ area with patio furniture.  Never thought  that before.  Might not happen for 5 more years but it is on our to do list.  Hey maybe there will be some treasure underneath when we finally get it done....hmmm.

So unless you have a giant match you won't get us to move. 

WHERE ARE YOU GOING MY LITTLE ONE, LITTLE ONE?....ARKANSAS?

Jill and John have been threatening to leave us for quite a while now.  In my heart of hearts I was hoping it was just a threat.  But these guys were serious!  3 more weeks and they will be living in beautiful Arkansas.  (they tell me it is beautiful, anyway)  

I could get really weapy here but I won't.  I just wanted to post some pictures of our family gathering at their home these past years.  Thanks you guys for sharing your home with us and for all the memories.

 

Last Christmas.  Even  Boo spent time at the Papa's.

Kids on Bikes and Trikes in front of the house.

Birthday gatherings. (My last birthday....just before we hit

every Goodwill in the east valley.)

Happy cousins.

Christmas parties.

Baby blessings. 

Thanksgivings

The Papa house has been central to alot of family gatherings.  They have been gracious to always let many family plans take place under their roof. 

We will miss you and your little spot under the Arizona sun. 

FRONT PORCH

My front porch has been so neglected.  So today I gave it some attention.  I wasn't going to post anything about it but as I sat out enjoying the late afternoon and the spruced up porch I realized that it was made up of yard sale finds. So let me take you one a tour.

Well ~ first, the two church pews are not yard sale finds.  They came from Joseph City.  When my inlaws and David ran the grocery store in Joe City it was in an old converted church and it had a basement complete with a baptismal font (which I always thought if we converted the basement into living area we would have a small swimming pool for kids.....David thought that was a dumb idea.)  Anyway, there were all these church pews or chairs and I  asked if I could have some of them.  I have loved them forever.    OK ~ The table with the high legs to the right in the back was last week's find as was the tool caddy on the right also.  The upholstered chair was a find in a yard sale in Surprise. 

The wooden chest came from a second hand store.  It is a military chest and has Pearl Harbor printed on it.  David thinks it might be that old and won't let me paint it.  That's ok.

Tool caddy on the left was found at the same yard sale and the previous one. The end table came from another yard sale in the valley.  Can't remember where.  The second upholstered chair came with the first one and the second church bench came with the other one. Then there is a Hibotchi in the left corner back.  I got that early this summer.  If you didn't know a Hibotchi is a small BBQ grill.  I wanted it because it reminds me of when David and I were dating.  He had one and we would go up into the mountains and cook hamburgers on it.  Those are good memories and good hamburgers.

The little wheelbarrow came from a yard sale in Pinetop.  And this wagon

was Tim's.  It was a birthday present when he was 5 or 6.

These big pots came from another Surprise yard sale.  I got them last year

and tried pumpkin seeds in them and left them in the back yard.  The pumpkin plants

didn't do well so I was thinking about these pots and decided they needed flowers

and they needed the front porch.

I get Country Sampler magazine and they high light the best porches.  I study them.  Color and flowers and furniture.  They just seem like an additional room and that is what I wanted my porch to feel like.  But I wanted MY porch to have one other feeling.  I wanted it to feel and look like
Silverton.  And it does.

ONE MORE USE FOR OLD BLUE JEANS.

We needed a new pad for our trampoline.  Jill looked the east valley over and I looked the internet over.  Jill couldn't find one and

I am not going to pay what they cost on line.  So.....what to do..hmmmm.  Levis to the rescue!

I cut the legs  off of some (alot)  jeans (the cuts were at a slight angle to help them make a round pad) and took an old comforter cut it up and stuck them in for padding and then sewed them together.  I used some cording to attach it to the trampoline.  I did good and it was free. :)

SUBURU........several posts below.

This is my neighbor's Suburu.  The first time I saw them they were in this car.......20+ years ago.

I saw this commercial on TV where this boy is saying he always got the hand-me-downs.  But then one day he got the BEST hand-me-down.  It was the family Suburu. 

It was a good commercial but if you really want to sell a Suburu and do that because it lasts forever then you need to do one about this car. 

Ultramarathon Man

Just when I am waffling about running I come across something that makes me want to get my shoes on and run.  If you are thinking like me you should watch this video.  OK, I know dedicated runners probably know all the big name runners and techniques, etc.  Well, I don't.  This is about Dean Karnazes who ran 50 marathons in 50 days.  He has done a ton of other things before he attempted this.  It was inspiring.  He met people who were inspiring.  Time to start running!

I also talked with a friend, Tiffany Brown, who is also an inspiring runner.  She

taught me things I didn't even consider.  Time to do some strength training and

possibly increase my speed, among other things.  Thanks, Tiffany.

Can't wait for tomorrow's sunrise.  I'm ready to run!

Father's Day Weekend

I wanted to do a tribute to David for Father's Day.  So I started taking

pictures of his activities over that past few days.  Of course, I didn't take  even half

of what he did this week.  

Our own children are

grown and married so this shows his "father of the ward" side of him.

Reading to the Young Women.

Loading up stuff to go to the Mountain Man Rendezvous.  He spent the night

Thursday, came in, and then went out again on Saturday.

We were driving home from Show Low late Saturday evening and he

kept seeing people heading toward the Stake center.....then he remembered:

High Priest social.  We ran home, he showered and we flew back.

It was fun and our "second supper" was good.

 Father's Day morning. ( I wish this picture was better it is so telling of Sunday morning and he looked really handsome.)

New tie for Father's day.....he told me he really wants one with pictures of his

children on it.  Loaf of bread in hand (he calls it a "safety" loaf.  The Aaronic Priesthood is in charge of bringing the bread for the Sacrament but things happen so he always

brings a second loaf.  I love him in a suit......he hates him in a suit. (He wears one 3-5 times a week.)

The Tribute would be that he has spent his life taking care of family.

Our family and now the ward family.  Quietly taking care of business

and the people he loves.

24 hour read.a.thon of the Book of Mormon

Our Young Women got together last Wednesday and read the Book of Mormon for 24 hours!  This is the best group of girls.  They are all on board for stuff like this.  It is a pleasure to be a  part of them.  There is something about young women of faith getting together.  It is like each one brings this Spirit that adds to the whole. 

This is the whole group in the morning when they finished.  They had quietly,been doing crafts, etc. and listening to different readers and then Elizabeth (who organized the event) asked them to all put down whatever they were doing and get their books and go out into the grass and read it home.  I was glad I was there for that.  Elizabeth told them that in the weeks to come this experience  will become sweet to them and strengthen their testimonies of the Book of Mormon. 

When I first came in the afternoon this is what was going on.

President Shumway was the reader then.  After a little while he began using a Scottish accent.  I wasn't sure at first (thought I was hearing things) but he was.  Later the girls were talking to each other and they wondered if anyone else had heard him.  Of course, the answer was yes and they decided he did that to keep them paying attention. 

This is Elizabeth, who organized the whole thing.  She is a strong

person with a great intent to do good.  She shepherded these girls all

through the night and was there to finish the book. 

Here is my husband, David, the Bishop reading for the second time.  He said he just about got dizzy and had a hard time focusing he read for so long.  (he did good!)

This is Paul Watson or Ammon.  The girls just loved him.  He was reading along and one of the girls sneezed and he said' "bless you, thus saith the Lord".  The girls just laughed.  It was starting to get late so his sense of humor perked them up.

Listening to Paul read.

Thursday morning...still going strong.

Sweet pictures of some of my Beehives.  Isn't it one of the best things to see....

girls with their noses in the scriptures.

To The Mothers in Zion

When Ezra Taft Benson was the Prophet of the Church he gave this talk.  It was later printed into this pamphlet.  Peter, who is my oldest son, was 11 years old and Lee wasn't born yet when he gave it.  I remember that evening.  I even remember where I sat and that I took notes furiously.   I was in the middle of parenting and I LOVED this prophet's advise. 

A couple years ago I looked all over the church's web site and other places to get more copies so I could give them to my daughters.  They don't print it anymore.  I was sad.  So I wrote the church and got a reply from the Intellectual Property Office of the Church giving me permission to make copies for non-commerical use. 

I found the letter and one nice new crisp copy while cleaning out a file the other day.  I can't believe it got buried.  I am taking it to the printers today and will get some copies made. 

I have been thinking about the GREAT GREAT blessing it is to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.  Can I give you an example:  (this is a little off the subject but it makes the point).  My visiting teaching companion told me this story the other day.  A member of her family went to a funeral for a new born baby a little while back.  The funeral was held in another church.  The family member was amazed when the minister, who was there to offer condolence and direction said something like, "I don't know why your baby died but on that day God was really tripping".  What!!??  He actually said that. 

I have lost a baby and my spiritual leader told me that our precious little son came here to earth from the spirit world and got his mortal body and that he had returned home to his Father in Heaven.  And that one day that body and spirit would be reunited in the resurrection which became possible because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He also told us of his infinite worth to our Father in Heaven who loves us all deeply.  He also told us we would see this little boy again and that we would be reunited in family.

The difference in  these two illustrations only confirms my gratitude for the doctrines we have because of the restored church here upon the earth.  We have continuing revelation.  We have solid guidance.  We have understanding of our purpose here.  We know who our Father in Heaven is.  We know the Savior and his role in our lives.  We have Temples to bind us together as families.  We having the saving ordinances to bring us back into the presence of God. 

Back to the pamphlet....I know the things that Pres. Benson said are timeless and are solid parenting skills.  But it was the Prophet of God who said them.  He was the mouthpiece of God on the earth at that time.  I accepted his counsel and just about wore out my personal pamphlet as I read over it again and again.  I could cry when I think of all the help I received from his words when I was raising my children.  I shutter sometimes when I consider what things would have been if I didn't have the guidance that this Church offers.  It is consistent and solid. 

This is my copy.  I opened it so much  that the spine has broken in two. 
 I underlined and circled things.  I am not saying "wow look at me"
I am saying it was valuable...so vaulable to me.

OCD

If I ever worried that I am compulsive it is in the Spring.  Once I have

put seeds in the ground I constantly wonder out and look the rows over and over

to see if my seeds are going to germinate.  I am talking 10 times a day.

I am aware that this is a bit too much.  I even try to appear to be

doing something else so if my neighbors happen to be watching they won't feel sorry for me.

Probably too late for that~

Really, there is nothing like seeing the ground swell and see that

beautiful green life emerge.  Not to mention the relief I feel!  Since my

growing season is short, I really only have one chance for most

of my vegetables to sprout and take off.  Every year I worry until I get

their signal.

Isn't it amazing that these tiny sprouts can move the earth. 

Hello little green sprout!

The start of giant hubbard squash.  Ymmm!

                                                                         Green Beans

It is the most amazing thing that a seed will sprout into a plant and grow until it produces

it's replacement (many times over).  It has been one of my favorite things to watch.....to

see plants multiply in their own sphere.  It's a commandment

and they work hard to obey.

Most things are up now.  I am only waiting on my heirloom

pumpkins.  I hope they say hello tomorrow.....early.

Material

Wal-Mart has been getting some fun fabric for a buck a yard.

So I bought me a pile of it.  This stack reminded me of my mom.

She had drawers and cupboards filled with fabric.  Growing up

that is where I "shopped".  All my clothes were homemade.  First

by my mom and then by me. 

I am always surprized to talk to women my age who 

don't know how to sew.  That was a staple at my house....my

sisters and mom and I sewed all the time.  It was what we

could afford.  I never thought twice about my stuff being homemade.

I took alot of pride in my ability to sew.

My mom's piles of fabric evolved from cotton blends to

double knits sometime in the 70's.  By the time she passed away

she had two of her three bedroom closets filled top to bottom with double knit fabric.

She never got around to sewing much of anything....just brought

tons for the day when she would.

All of that fabric went to Salt Lake City to be turned into

quilts for the LDS Humanitarian services.  She saved all

that fabric to cover needy people all over the world. Not that

she did that intentionally but if she were able to let us know I

think she would give us a big thumbs up.

Way to go, Mom.