Merry Christmas

The birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is certainly an important day and one to be celebrated. Then there is Santa, it's in the spirit of giving. Merry Christmas to all and to all a GOOD NIGHT.

Nativity

Today I had a shock. First I need to back up, my husband's brother Don, said he couldn't find a nativity scene. I thought he must be mistaking so today when we were out shopping I looked and you know what? I couldn't find one. Of course, we didn't go everywhere looking but the fact that we went to one or two places and there was not one to be found. Not even a picture. What part of CHRISTMAS do people miss? I mean CHRIST-MAS.

This really shows that Satan has been working very hard to convince people that X-mas is the way to go. I am so saddened by this fact. I still find it hard to believe that there isn't one in every store you might go too. Don said he finally found one at Home Depot. Of all places?

I feel so sad for the buyers of the various stores that they don't look - NO DEMAND that they have some to sell. Surely there are more people out there that find this a disturbing fact besides me.

I think we need to talk to everyone we meet and ask them if they understand this? Maybe if we talk it up and call the various stores and ask - WHY? Maybe, just maybe it will dawn on someone that Christ needs to be put back into Christmas.

Wonderful time of the year

It's that wonderful time of the year - yes it's Christmas time. What a joy it is to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I think of the difficult time it must of been for Mary and Joseph to go all that way to pay their taxes. Then the time coming for Mary to deliver Jesus. In a stable no less. Our pictures make it look so lovely but even at their best stables aren't what one might think of a place for a human "baby" to be born in. It is definitely a humble place to be born in and the song that mentions Jesus, once of humble birth. I think of that often and how sweet the birth of a baby is. What a learning process it is for the parents let alone the child. As I look back on our family being born and how much I have learned with each of our children as they have grown up. Sometimes were extremely difficult and sometimes were so sweet and even humbling. I can't believe it has been so many years since we first started on this journey. As each of our daughters came into the world, it was both difficult (as I didn't do anything easily) and it was sweet and beautiful. The joy I felt as each was placed in my arms and how I cried with each of their births. The happiness I felt as I checked them out to be sure they were "perfect". Little did I know they were perfect no matter what imperfections might have been on their bodies.

I guess the Lord knew I would need five children to learn all of the things I needed to learn. Wow had I only known how many children we would have before we were married I wonder if I would have taken the "journey". Having been raised more or less as an only child, I wasn't prepared for the noise or the conflicts that come with children. But neither was I prepared for the joy and happiness that comes with all of that noise and conflict. We only grow as a result of difficulty or difficult times. When these times comes to each of us, it is frightening. We are not prepared for them and therefore we feel unable to handle what may or may not come.

I know without a doubt that our Heavenly Father is there to guide and help us every step of the way, if we but have the faith and trust in Him to do so.

My prayers are with you all as you go through these difficult times of bearing, raising children and the other difficult times that will come your way. Have faith and trust.

Merry Christmas to all.

Grandparents

Being a grandparent is one of the greatest things in the world, well besides being a Mom or Dad. We have 11 grandchildren and each of them holds such a special place in my heart. We got to spend some quality time with three of our grandchildren this past week and had the opportunity to attend a concert at our granddaughter's school. She plays the viola and it was a joy to watch these young people as they each worked so hard to do their very best to perform. Our granddaughter practices 30 minutes each day four days a week so she doesn't have to bring her instrument home on the weekend. Now isn't that clever? But she doesn't miss practicing because it is important to her to do her best. Her brothers are so full of energy that I wish I could just touch them and get some of it. One grandson couldn't wait to get into 3rd grade so he could learn to write cursive. I was impressed at what a good job he does considering that he's only been in school a few short weeks. The youngest grandson is in kindergarten and is learning how to type. Wow! What kids learn and know today at such young ages is such a surprise to me as grandmother. But the thing that tickled us so much was they met us at the door as we got there and as we were leaving, they were at the window waving at us.

This would be really impressive if it were just one of our daughter's children but all of them do this. What a joy it is to know we are loved and they look forward to our coming. Sadly we don't get to see all of them that much and that makes us so sad as we love each of them so much.

We have two that are into sports and each play soccer and boy are they good. Just so fun to watch them play and see how much they have improved each time. We don't get to see them much as they live a ways away from here.

Then we have four others that live about five hours drive from here and they are delightful also. The two older ones are into "grown" up things but are still happy to see us and will chat with us and that is fun to feel included in their lives. The two younger ones hang around with us constantly when we go there and that is such fun.

We are fortunate to have two living with us right now and it's fun that they like having us around too. Although, I think they feel like we just belong here because the oldest one really doesn't remember living without us. The youngest one is still too young to know any different.

All and all we are so blessed to have all of these lovely grandchildren.

So many Miracles

My last post I talked a bit about this but my heart is still full about it so here goes. When our youngest daughter gave birth to our little Ashlinn and our daughter had complications, it was so frightening. As I look back in my life I realize how many times I have seen the hand of the Lord right in our family. Each of our daughters as they have gone through difficult times, pregnancy, birthing, surgery, how grateful I was to be able to talk to the Lord about their particular time of difficulty and how much better I felt, although I have to admit that during the time I wished I could do it for them, much easier then watching and feeling so helpless. Our little Ashlinn being the last born and little miracle so far.

Then this past week a dear friend had an aneurysm in his brain and passed away. His wife had passed a little over a year ago. I'm sure she was anxious to have him with her again. They were always such a beautiful couple. As I look back to the birth and now the death it really puts things in perspective.

When our daughters were born I was so thrilled and I worked very hard to do the very best job, I thought I could do to help them be prepared for their lives. They are each such lovely women. Each so different, not only in looks (although if you saw them together, you'd guess they belonged as sisters) but they have gone on and developed such diverse interests and abilities and talents. Now all but one have been blessed to be mothers. They have beautiful, intelligent, talented children. Some are real athletes, some are into the arts and music, some are just learning what they might be interested in for their lives. But our daughters and their husbands have taken these lovely little ones and are teaching them the things they feel they need, to be prepared for their lives. Don't get me wrong, it isn't an easy job, at times it can be the most frustrating time but it is also one of the most rewarding times.

Our daughter that doesn't have any children, has taken a young woman and was her guardian to help her through her life. This young woman was mentally handicapped but to our daughter and to us, she was beyond wonderful. But sadly her time here on the earth has passed and she has joined our Heavenly Father. We all wept for this lovely young woman and for our daughter having to lose her but yet they gave one another so much and so many memories. This daughter is the greatest Aunt to her sister's children and loves each of them beyond her life. She has so much to give and this is the way she has chosen to do some of that. She has done so many things for others and I marvel at how she has taken her life and made it so rich and fulfilling. When we finally get the chance to visit her, she is such a joy because she takes us to new places to see and hear and eat and even to some old ones we have grown fond of. Early on in her life she had some terrible surgery and had to face a difficult time but she has risen above it and made her life even better.

Yes, I am proud of our daughters and what they have done with their lives. Yes, they have had struggles and yes they have made mistakes but they are such wonderful ladies that they have grown from all of that.

Again the circle of life and the miracles we have witnessed in our family is such a humbling thing.

Thank you Father for your willingness to bless our family with so much. For helping each of us make it through this world to accomplish as much as we can. So some day we can return to live with you.

Late Summer Early Fall

How time is flying by. I look outside and the trees are starting to get some additional color. The apples are turning red our garden is starting to look a little tired and the time is coming for us to prepare for the winter.

I love this time of year, the heat has gone from our days and the nights are still warm enough for our garden. I can leave the windows open most of the day and enjoy it so much.

I guess it is a little like our lives. We are born as in the spring and we grow as in the summer and the fall is our time for having our own families and then the winter is our older years.

As I have said in the past, I am so blessed. I have a wonderful husband, who is patient, kind and loving. We are enjoying our late summer early fall years. We so enjoy our children and grandchildren and as we watch each of them changing and growing. It makes us realize how much has changed and how much we have grown in our lives. Thank you Lord for my life.

Life

I have put off writing about this for a while because it is so close to my heart. A week ago this last Friday, August 20, 2010 our youngest daughter Kristie gave birth to a long awaited little girl. This "little" girl was quite big, 8lbs 13 oz and 21 inches long so this gave her Mom a bit of a problem. Kristie was unable to deliver her except by C section. This was all well and good and after a very long day everyone was thrilled to see this new little member to our family, Ashlinn Mary. After much cooing and ooing we left to go home. When we got home my husband and I called it day and had "cereal" for dinner and settled down for the evening.

A short time later the phone rang and it was Kristie's husband telling us she was taken back into the OR for surgery. We threw on our clothes and headed back to the hospital. I called her sisters and my Mom to tell them and ask them to all pray for her. I must admit I wasn't worth much at that point. My baby was seriously in trouble. It seems she had a blood clot that had stopped her body from doing what it should after a birth. She was bleeding beyond what she should have been. After hearing what all happened I realize just how fortunate/blessed we were that her hubby Jared was there with her in her room and went to call for help immediately when they realized how much trouble she was in. The doctors and nurses worked very hard to save our daughter's life. Thank you to everyone that gives so much in their line of work.

This story does have a happy ending, our daughter came back from surgery not looking so great but has since been recovering rapidly. She looks like nothing so serious has happened but we all know. I won't soon forget how very fragile life is. I like so many others takes delivering a baby as "the norm" but it does take a great deal of work on Mom's part whether it be normal way or C section and the outcome can be so tenuous.

I thank my Father in Heaven for this miracle in our lives. For this precious little girl that has come into our extended family.

As I've said before we have 11 grandchildren and each of them are so special and wonderful. Each of them bring joy to our hearts and lives and we give thanks to the Lord for sending them to our family.

I thought having my own kids was difficult - ha - not anywhere as difficult as watching our daughter's give birth.

The difference between "old" people and "young" people

By old I mean 93 or so and by young I mean under 18. This past week I have had a chance to talk with our grandchildren. They never cease to amaze and surprise me. I love how smart they are and how clever they are. What their interests are and how diverse they all are. Like one Grandson has gotten a red bearded lizard. He has been talking about getting one and he knows all about them and so on and so. He wants this particular one because it is most rare. I told him I thought that was yucky and I was a wussss. He laughed and said I wasn't because I was Grandma to lots of grandsons. What a joy it is to know He thinks I am so fierce and unafraid of anything. Then another grandson asked me how old I was? I told him I was older than dirt. He wasn't sure about that. So I asked him how old was OLD? He thought for a minute and said 100, whooo, I'm not too old yet. So I told him I was 68 and he thought about that and said "oh". I told him I was 61 years older than he is. Well that one did not go over well. It just plain stopped him. Another granddaughter talked to me about her plans for college this fall and her schedule. She is so full of life and joy that it is contagious! What a joy each of our grandchildren are. They are all so interesting, they have very interesting personalities and joy for life. Of course, it is expressed in different ways, but none the less expressed. Thank you all.

Now to Old - my Mom is 93 and as you might think, she has started to lose some reasoning powers. I am so sad to see this happen because her mind has been as sharp as a tack. Many times I am now taking the roll of her "mother". That is a strange place to be. All through my life I have measured myself by what my mother has said or done and I have confided in her and she would tell me what she felt should be done. While I have taken a different path from my mom, I still love and respect her. One thing she has adopted in her later years and especially as her hearing and eye sight have been getting tired and not working like she'd like, she has started to laugh at everything - practically. I know some of it to cover up her not hearing but others is to cover up what she thinks.

Our lives are very diverse one from another of us - our families are different from how we've been raised. When husband and wife come together and form the beginning of a family and then children start to come. You bring certain traits from each of your own growing up families and convert them into this new family. Then you find new things you would like added. I find this so interesting, how we bring the best things from what we were raised with and add new and better ways of doing things. I love this. Each generation grows up and beyond the last one. Yes, the Old families (our growing up family) still have good things and bring many wonderful memories but the new families bring growth and love and joy and happiness and even a little sadness as the young ones grow up and out of the nest.

One thing each of these groups of people have in common the younger group are looking forward with so much expectation and the older group is looking forward to another place in their eternal progression and sometimes just as eagerly as the young ones are looking.

What a joy it is to be right here where I am. I learn and grow along with our children and grandchildren.

Family-together

Today is the end/beginning of the week. Our family has had quite a week this past week. Each of our daughters have had "one" of those weeks that we pray do not happen often. But Saturday made it all worth while. Four of our five daughters and their families were here to support two of our grandchildren when they were baptized. What a joy it was for Glen and I to have them all here and see how our family has grown. They are so darn cute together. That's our grown children and their spouses and their children. It's like they have so little time when they are all together that no one seems to argue or have sour faces. Everyone is giggling, talking, laughing, teasing and beaming (as when the two, Hanae and Graeme were baptized). The two little ones were so serious and cute when they were sitting there listening to the talks that were given and to the Bishop while he was talking to them. Afterward, the two that were baptized sit next to each other and shared a song book so they could sing the closing song. Which I'm sure they both know by heart, I Am A Child of God. I love watching all of our grandchildren, the older ones included and realize how innocent and beautiful they are both inside and out. They are truly Children of God.

Thank you for this day and for the blessing we have of having a family that are all trying to be good, kind and decent human beings.

Family

I have been on this earth close to 68 years. I thought I knew everything when I was younger and as I grew older (20s) I was still sure I knew everything but of course, that has to come to a close sometime in your life - like when your children reach teens years.

Then comes adult years and as I have watched my children mature and become parents themselves I see many things I did when I was first a parent but I also see many things they have improved on. They teach their children more indepth about so many things, why we really celebrate Easter, about Christ's birth and death. They play with their children, like go skiing, playing in the water, water skiing, going to the zoos, animal parks. They have fun with their children much more than we did and that's good. As I look back from when I was a child, I hopefully improved on how I was taught and now our children are improving on how they were taught. This makes me so happy to see my children as they are women and mothers and what they do and have done.

I just wish they had worked out their problems with each other a bit sooner. Because of the turmoil when I was raised I don't deal with it very well at this point in my life. I want my children to love one another and see the good in each other but most of all I want my children to see the good in themselves. All of them are wonderful women and I'm proud to say they are my daughters. Each of them have wonderful qualities and talents and they are expanding on these qualities and talents in their own ways.

I have been blessed with a wonderful husband, five wonderful daughters, 4 wonderful sons (by adoption through marriage) and 10 grandchildren plus one more on the way and I give thanks each and every day. I pray that each of them will find the peace and love they need and that they will find their way. I love each of you.

Birthdays/Marriage

Today was my husband's 72nd birthday. Wow, and to think we started dating when he was 24 and I was 20. How time flies when you're having fun. I look into the mirror and realize I am getting older but at the same time I also feel like I did when I was younger. Perhaps not as energetic but the feelings are still the same. I look at this man that has been my husband for over 46 years, soon to be 47 and I can't imagine my life without him. He is indeed the wind beneath my wings. He sees me as I am and still loves me for all of my imperfections. I realized today, I feel the same way about him. I see a string on his shirt or his hair has blown away from what he likes and I have to fix it for him. I want everyone to know this man that has been such a pillar in my life.

We dated for over a year before we went off to school and then the spring of that year of school he proposed to me so we became engaged. We continued dating long distant for the next year until he graduated from BYU. We had known each other since we were in elementary school. Although, my memories of this older "boy" really aren't very clear. About all I remember was that he teased me. When I really got to know him was when he got home from his mission and we lived very close at that time and I was in the youth group and he was going to show pictures and tell about his mission. All of us girls went to all of these, they were fun and besides, guess we were auditioning our husbands to be - to find the right one. My first real knowledge of when we were "older" and met again was at a dance at the church. He had just returned from his mission. He asked me to dance and I loved it. He is a VERY good dancer and we had such fun. It just got better from there. I had graduated from high school the spring a year before and was looking to go onto college. I was thinking of going up to Logan USU but Glen talked me into going down to BYU. AS I said, in the spring of that school year Glen proposed to me and then he would continue school and I would work, according to my Mother I had to work and get my china, silver and crystal so I was ready for marriage. I stayed home that year and worked very hard and yes I got all the things I was expected to get. Glen, made trips home almost every weekend or at least as much as he could. We planned on getting married right after he graduated, which would happen in the spring of that very long year. He graduated one week and the next weekend, Friday, June 7, 1963 we got married in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. It's seems like yesterday, I can tell you what time I got up to get ready to drive down to the temple, 4:00 A.M. because there was not a freeway back then. Glen came by to pick me up, because my parents hadn't been married in the temple and neither of them had taken out their endowments so my wedding was a little lonely for me, Glen, his parents, two of his brothers, the Bishop and his wife from my home ward were all that was there. I remember I cried all the way through the ceremony. I was so happy and yet a bit sad but I knew that this was the "right" way to be married so I struck out on my own. There was no one from my immediate family, parents, grandparents or ever cousins had gone through the temple, so this was sad but I was so happy with this man that had chosen me, I cried tears of joy. It felt so right to be there in the temple with him promising to be his wife for time and all eternity. I know my Heavenly Father was there with me all of the way because I felt warm and safe in the knowledge I was doing the right thing.

I realize as I look back, how little knowledge I had about the gospel and our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ. But the Lord had blessed me with a testimony that I knew this was where I needed to be. His spirit had blessed me so many times as I grew up, many times when I really didn't know that was what it was. My knowledge has grown 100 times and I have been given many opportunities to grow and become what my Heaven Father knew I could do and become.

He blessed both Glen and I with so much, we have been given (as I have mentioned so many times here) five beautiful daughters and since then four wonderful sons and 10 grandchildren. What more could a person ask for? We have been blessed to be close to these grandchildren as much as we possibly could. We have traveled much and enjoyed and learned so much. We've had the privileged of watching our children as they become wonderful parents. Learning from their children as we had learned from ours.

Thank you Father, for this wonderful man, whose 72nd birthday is today, I wish his parents were still here and I would tell them thank you for raising such a wonderful man. I love him so much and will forever. The only dream I've had for our children was that they could marry and find someone that loved them as much as their father loved me and they would love that person as much as I had loved their father. I know when you both feel this way, you can handle any of life's problems and of course there are always problems. We all have different ones but when you have built your marriage on that kind of love - the rest will work itself out.

The result is one day you stop and realize while you were living your life it flew by you and here you are having been married over 46 years. That sounds like a long time, I am so surprised the first time I realized it had been that long. Where did the time go?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

As I look back over the past year I realize how much can be packed into one small 12 month period. When you look forward that seems like a long time but looking back you realize, it really isn't.

We've had so many wonderful things happen to us and our family. And we've had some not so great things as all of you have. I'm grateful for the love we share, my hubby and I and our children, their spouses and their children. How time flies when you don't notice. Our oldest grandchild will graduate this spring. Wow, where did the time go? Just yesterday it seems she was born and now she's 17 and looking forward to her wonderful life out of the younger grades of her education. Then on Christmas Day we were given another gift of sorts. Our youngest daughter and her hubby are going to have a baby in August which is the birth month of our oldest grandchild. Now both of these births are miracles but to us this one carries a different type of miracle. Their little boy that is 20 months old was created by another set of parents but he came to us as a miracle of many prayers and he brought much happiness to see how much he is like his parents, Kristie and Jared. They adopted Cooper because after six years they just hadn't been able to have their own baby --- well now they can.

I look back on what I have just written and realize just how much each of our grandchildren mean to us and how each of them are a miracle to us. We have been so blessed by first our children and then their marriages to fine men and then the birth of their babies --- our grandbabies. What joy they have each brought into our family of which Glen and I started 47 1/2 years ago. In December of that first year, I realized I was pregnant with our first child. Now in December, we found out our youngest child is having our 11th grandchild.

On January 22nd my Mom will be 93 years old and that is a miracle. I wonder if she realized so many years ago when she was pregnant with me what all she was starting?? I doubt it. My step-brother and I both had five children each, giving my Mom 10 grandchildren, now she has 23 great grandchildren and four great, great grandchildren. Wow, just think!

I hope this finds each of you well and that this New Year holds much joy and happiness for you.