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.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
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?
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?
Friday, January 1, 2010
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.
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.
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