Life

Today a dear friend found life to be to difficult to deal with any longer and my heart is breaking for the hurt and pain she is enduring. My dear friend you are in my prayers that your heart and soul can find peace and endure the heart ache that seems to follow you everywhere. Life is never easy but for some out there life is in deed very unfair. Each of us find our lives difficult at times but to others that have lived in the darkest of places these times become so dark that life doesn't seem to be worth it.

Please stop and think about all of the love that is directed your way today and always. First, your Heavenly Father loves you more than anything and He knows the pain you are enduring so let Him help you, He can take it and lift it off your shoulders. Second, there are so many of us that love you for your sweetness, kindness and willingness to do for others. You have given so much and it is time you allow others to give back to you. While we cannot take your pain away we are very willing to stop and listen to you share your heartache. Those that inflected that pain onto you will never be away from the part they played and will have to face the Lord Himself.

Remember, you are innocent and deserve so much, you are worth so much! You have so much to still do and give to others. For one thing, the knowledge of what you have endured and the strength you have gained (and you have gained much strength or you wouldn't have made it this far) would help others to face things. I only wish I could be of help to you now in one of your darkest moments. I hope you can feel my arms around you giving to you the love that you need at this time.

Talk to the Lord and He will help you to overcome this ugliness and find the peace you so richly deserve. All my love my friend.

Listening

Throughout the years I have tried to "listen" to the promptings I received from our Heavenly Father but this last one was real. Just before Sue and Hanae left for Arizona I had this feeling Glen should go with her and help her drive but I ignored it. After she left, Glen and I were talking and he said he had the same thought come to him. Well we talked about a minute or so and decided since we'd both gotten the same message he should go. Sue and Hanae were staying with Nan in St. George so we got Glen a ticket to fly down there and meet Sue and drive the rest of the way home with her.

Neither of us knew why we'd gotten that message but we listened - thank goodness!!! They left Thursday morning early and stopped at Mc Donalds for breakfast. Then they headed on their way to Sierra Vista. Lunch time came around and they were again around a Mc Donalds - that is Hanae's favorite place to eat. They stopped and got lunch. Well about an hour later Sue had these unbelievable pains. They were not sure what was wrong finally she felt the need for a rest room and they had to drive 15 miles or so give or take some miles to find one. After a while they got back into the car and again headed to Sierra Vista. Sue was in such pain she could hardly stand the movement in the care let alone any bumps. They finally got her home and she rested and started to feel a bit better later that evening. By the next day she was doing much better. We came to the conclusion because she had been watching her diet and had not had that much grease in the same day that it had hit her really hard. She got back onto watching what she ate and is doing much better.

Thank you Lord for giving us the push to do the right thing for her, I'm not sure what she would have done without help. Hanae sure couldn't be of help to her and Sue would have been out in the middle of no where with no help in sight.

You know there are times in our life when we receive these great promptings and if we listen sometimes we are not sure why they have come but others we see up close and personal why. I am so grateful to a loving Father who saw fit to warn us to take action before we knew why and that we listened.

Visits

What a wonderful time it is - summer when family comes to visit. But it is very sad when they leave. I love having our "children" and their families come to visit but when it's time for them to leave and I know we won't see them for a long time - it is very difficult. How I wish they could all live a bit closer - say Logan (we already have one there why not several) or Clinton or Salt Lake. I know you get the drift. I do understand they have their own lives and have to follow their dreams and destiny but that doesn't make it any easier.

We spend years raising these children and then they grow up and think they can just leave us and go their ways, which of course they do.

As we are getting older I find it more difficult to have them so far away. Pretty soon we won't be able to travel like we've been blessed to do and I wonder if we'll ever see them again. I know that is pretty dramatic. But today it feels that way. Sue, Hanae and Nik were here to visit and first we lost Nik to go home so he could go to scout camp (I can understand why he'd want to do that) and now Sue and Hanae have left. For some reason they feel like they have to go home to see "Daddy". Now if we could only get him to come then all would be good.

Thank goodness we have two "children" that have chosen to be close to home - at least for now. I am so grateful they are close enough to be able to see them for special times and to just enjoy them anytime.

Sometimes I wonder if we have either made our children way to independent or if we've made them so glad to just get away from us. Well, which ever it is they are where they are and that is it.

I do love our family so much and give thanks each day for the blessings they bring into our lives.

Anniversary

I finally have to take the plunge and blog without pictures. I keep saying I'm going to download the pictures from my camera, as you can see, haven't quite got that done yet. The reason, I need help from Glen and we never seem to get it together at the same time. Oh well.

But back to topic, I can't believe it's been 46 years since we went to the Salt Lake City LDS temple to be married. I look at all of my girls and can't believe they are MY daughters - why I can't be that old to have five daughters and 10 grandchildren - where did the time go?? Help!! But at the same time I look at our family and give thanks for the many blessings they have brought into my/our lives. Yes, we have had difficult times and even sad times but at the same time we have had glorious times. As I have watched our children grow I have grown and so enjoyed at what they have accomplished with their lives. I am so proud (can I say that?) of all of them. They have taken in the good, the bad and the ugly to make their lives become something special, I am so glad I have been here to see.

Yes, they have problems - who doesn't - but they have taken all of the things around them and made them work. I'm not saying it has been easy for them but they have stayed firm and come out winners. I look at our four sons that we have gotten in the bargain and I'm so grateful for each one of them. They are so unique and individual and special. I love them as though I had given birth to them and just think I didn't have to - I got a bargain! I thank the Lord each day for all of our children and grandchildren. And I thank the Lord for my life and the things we have been through - some not so great but they made us who we are today. The problems have made my patience grow, my love grow more than I could have known and the love between Glen and I has grown and I thought I knew what love was when we got married - silly girl I was.

Thank you for the 46 years my dear husband. How grateful I am for you and your patience and love. I truly know what a helpmate is now - thank you for teaching me so much - I look forward to the next many years. Love you my dearest!

Memorial Day

Just a note to thank everyone who has served in the military. I was raised with patriotism in my life. We were taught in school and at home to honor those who have been in the military and those who have given their lives for each of us so we might have freedom here in our nation.

I remember the fear of communism, I remember the fear of not having our freedom to choose what and how we would live our lives but especially I remember 911. How much I honor those even though they did not fight in a war, they gave their lives. Of course, there where those who were in military that were also lost at the Pentagon.

I worked at HAFB and I remember the thrill of hearing the Star Spangled Banner played each morning and seeing the men and women stand to attention each morning and evening when the flag was raised and lowered. Of pledging allegiance to our flag and country and also hearing prayer said before each and every meeting we attended.

I am proud to be an American and I give thanks each and every day that I was born here in this country and have been taught the value of life and liberty. That I value life, both mine and those around me. That I believe others have the right to think how they like, even if I don't agree.

Thank you for my freedoms!

Happy Mother's Day

It has certainly been a lovely day today for me and I hope for all of you. We had two of our five daughters and their families here to enjoy a family picnic and each other. It was a lovely time and then I got to talk on the phone to the other three daughters. Yes, I am very fortunate to have these great women as my daughters.

I look back when they were children and I was feeling tired and rushing around all of the time, little did I realize how fun it would be to reach "old" age and watch our daughters with their families and what supper Mom's they would be. No I don't take credit for that they have done a lot on their own. I see their struggles but also I see their strengths and the fine women they are.

In many ways they have so much in common and in others they are so different. I see their kindness, loving, compassionate and willingness to serve others.

Thank you Lord for giving these fine spirits to my care and now for the opportunity I have to watch them raise their own children.

Love to you all on this Mother's Day.

It happened again

Well we got a surprise again. You'd think we'd get used to these kids doing this to us. They have done this every time they are coming to visit and they say well we'll give you a call when we leave so you will have an idea when we will be there. Kristie and Jared told us they were not going t6o be able to come until two weeks from the first of April. Well as you know we have plans to leave next week to go down to Arizona. We felt really badly because Little Cooper's b-day is this coming Friday and we wouldn't be there for his first b-day. Oh well we thought we can celebrate later. Guess not? Yea! Got a phone call from Kristie tonight and she asked what time we go to bed. Still I was in a "fog" about what sh was talking about and it didn't help that she kept loosing her connection because she was driving - do errands was what she told me. Well they made it here around 10:30 or so. We ran out and picked up some formula for Cooper so they wouldn't have to stop and they beat us back here. Those stinkers!! Yes we were so happy just the same but wow.
Then they just were getting settled in for the night and even Cooper had gone to sleep and they realized as they walked across the floor in the room they are in and out in the family room there was water all over. Ever since we moved here 30 years ago and it was a new home we haven't had these kind of problems -- no one had lived here and worked out all of the little problems that arise in a new home. The first winter this problem arose and Glen worked very hard trying to find it and then fix it and he did a great job and it worked great ----- until now!! Since we've pulled out those bushes out front -- I guess it made it possible for that darn rain -- that came down several times like cats and dogs just found it's way down the wall and into the wind well. What a mess. Tomorrow it will be fix it up day again. That is after we take Grandma to the doctor and then head up to baby animals days to be with Steph, Brian, Chloe, Graeme and Kai to enjoy all of those little babies.

Keep your fingers crossed it won't rain until after it is fixed. Well sleep well dear ones!!