Merry Christmas 2021

 

I Have Never Been in a Hurricane But Now I Have- 2021

 I started this blog (journal) in 2007 and for most of that time, I faithfully recorded my life- things I did, wanted to do, read, ATE, family time, spiritual thoughts, funny stories.  It is a treasure all these years later to look back and read and re-learn many of life's lessons once again.  This journal is a history not only of my life- but that of my family.  The grand kids love putting their names in the search on this blog and finding all the stories I've shared about them.  It brings us together.

What is interesting, is, that this of all years, I stopped writing.  The year started off a little shaky, but has progressed, month by month, into a life I never dreamed of- but can honestly say, I've planned for inadvertently all my life.  I can't remember a time when I have not sought the Lord's hand.  All these years I have read my scriptures, took Institute classes, attended  my worship meetings, served and served and served. I've washed windows at the church on clean-up days, taking my turn- as we all do, but later learning that the root of worship and service are the same.  As I have served, in whatever capacity, I have tried to feel a sense of worship- whether my scouts were swinging from the rafters, my nursery kids crying and pooping and sticking Cheerios up their noses, when I worked 40 hours on a Young Women's slide presentation only to not have the projector work. Those things became minor and a part of the journey.  I am good with God.  There are times when I have been angry with God for not answering my prayers the way I wanted.  Thankfully I continued to pray.  Sometimes I have been angry with doctrine or suggestions from the pulpit that wasn't what my "secular" self wanted to hear.  Thankfully my scriptures were close at hand.  Not always.  Not when I was younger.  I went through that phase that so often you hear, if I wanted to fall asleep, all I had to do was open my scriptures.  I didn't always understand them. But the umpteenth time I made it through them, my language skills improved.  I wish I could share the many incidences I have had, having prayers answered through scripture reading.  What a gift. I am good with God.

So, in December, after my broken back but before hospitalization with Covid- I learned I had lost a lung. I have shared how an anchor was thrown to me in my sorrow.  It was His voice- reassuring me. "We've got this."  Three words that have continually pulled me from the waters, lifted me from my deepest abyss, soothed my aching heart. It has been a journey all within minutes- from high to low and then lowest.  Years ago I taught Journaling classes and usually  encouraged writers to start now rather than at the beginning- because by starting at the beginning, we usually never get caught up.  I'm not going to follow my own advice.  My latest loss is still too raw and some days my days are filled with a sunken boat and lots and lots of flailing. I do have my lifejacket, and for that I am thankful, but that doesn't mean you don't choke and gag and feel that drowning is imminent.  I love humor- humor gets me through a lot of bad times.  But I'm not laughing yet so I will share my January experiences- because although they were/are tragic, in hindsight you can laugh a little.  These past months have brought our family together like circling wagons.  The strength of my husband and kiddos!  So blessed. And that really proved itself during January... (start reading at January 28)

Dances

Above is Heidi and Caleb for their Senior Prom!

Hallee and a boy (Drew's parents won't let them go to every dance together so they have to have "off" dates- I know, crazy- and this was an "off" date. So I just call him a boy...) 

Here's Hallee Babe with her tru luv- Drew.

 Young love is common, but that doesn't mean it's not precious

Priesthood Advancements

 Priesthood ordinations💕 In January 2021-

Noah was advanced to a priest

and Noah to a teacher!

Love all these guys so much...and the below picture is beyond dear to me. Ryan and Marci and family. 

Then we were off to Travis and Tenille's family-

Boston was advanced to a priest and Nash to a teacher.  Cousins the same age!

One quote that I have always loved is by Joseph Smith (and he was directing it to the first Relief Society- so the power of the Priesthood- acting in God's name- is unilateral.

Bedroom for Sick and Afflicted

 At the beginning of my cancer diagnosis, I thought for sure I would be spending the next 6 months doing chemo.  I knew that if I was going to be incapacitated that long, I would need a wonderful space to rest (wallow) in and I knew

 My bedroom was sorely in need of a redo- and although we live in a desert and all the decorating guru's say that "beach themes" are passee, I knew for my own sanity I needed all the props possible to pretend I was in a favorite place.  This sign helped because although we don't have nice beaches (the one at the Great Salt Lake smells like brine shrimp)- I do live in Sandy which means I indeed have Sandy toes!

Blue and yellow are my forever colors.  My walls were blue before and ... now they are blue again.  Just a different shade.

(Carpet is the bottom one)

My cousin Zella gave me a Minky for my birthday.  It is yellow and is truly my best friend!

Besides making my room comfy, I was also inspired to go back to painting to paint some silly seabirds we always see at the beach.

I have to repaint the frame on this one. It’s. Charm Girl picture I painted after one of our beach trips. Cheerwine  is a soda drink found mostly in the South ( we were at Myrtle Beach)- maybe the predecessor to Dr. Pepper. This is a big painting.

On top of my dresser- one of my favorite pictures of Christ. Also a bird and the bird cage has an assortment of little bird candles I found in Paris. So, they all remind me that is Christ is aware of every fallen bird, surely He’s aware of me.

I love the white shiplap I put on one wall.

I love everything crisp and clean.

And I love that although I got all ready for my chemo room, my blood counts are behaving (they will never be good) and so I am in what they call, "Watch and Wait."  Some said "Worry and Wait."  Not me.  I have my new bedroom that is so comfy and just what I like- except my concession (a love gift really) for my husband is "get rid of all those useless pillows!"  So I just have two extras. But this is my S & S room- Snuggle and Sleep.   It doesn't look like a designer room but it totally looks like MY room! (and David likes it too!)

Covid and Bernie

 Bernie Sanders was/is a Senator from Vermont and a candidate for President (socialist)- and at President Biden's inauguration, his photo went viral of him sitting in a chair with his facemask and mittens.  It became a great diversion for our family when we were sick with Covid- Ryan would send us silly pictures to make us laugh.  My favorite was our family photo.

The family photo!!!

I loved this meme I saw and instantly came up with my own!

Gotta love the masks!

Tru Wuv

Of this be sure, you do not find the happy life, you make it.  Thomas S. Monson

The night he asked...

The engagement pictures...

"This is true love.  You think this happens every day?"  Westley- The Princess Bride

"True love is the greatest thing in the world, except for a nice MLT, mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich when the mutton is nice and lean, and the tomato is ripe."  Miracle Max- The Princess Bride

March 30 Brandi hosted a darling bridal shower for AmberLee Anderson- who was engaged to marry our grandson Josh.  We had the most wonderful "lemon" themed shower and AmberLee was darling and got so many fabulous gift to start off their new life together!   Here's a picture of just our side of the family-

We had flavored lemonades, salad with a lemon vinegrette, lemon bars and....Texas Sheetcake (because both of them served missions in Texas!)

The marriage-

"Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us together today. Mawage, that blesed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam. And wuz, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva. So tweasure your wuv."  The Clergyman- Princess Bride

from my Facebook post- Married on April 2, 2021

 I remember when I was young and would try and cut out my first Valentines, free-hand. The edges were always out of sync- one side lopsided, the other side ballooned. Love can be that way sometimes. But how much easier, when you fold the paper in two, and cut both sides together. When the core is the same, how beautiful the result.

Yesterday we got to experience the first marriage of one of our grandkids! How I love Josh and am so happy that his bride, AmberLee- has his same beautiful, gentle and spiritual core. May they have a lifetime of joy! Josh Williams, we love you so much! You are such an outstanding young man and we welcome AmberLee into our hearts!