12/10/23

Super busy week getting ready for the ward Christmas party, then digging through insurance nightmares, and now we're all fighting off colds, but the weekend has been cozy and more peaceful, getting to see Anne's madrigals sing at Temple square, being in the temple, and binging on Hallmark movies while I caught up on so.much.laundry. We've had a bit more snow after rain washed away a lot of that first storm, but the last few days the sun has been out again, which feels so nice, even with highs in the 30's.🥶 I LOVE this time of year! It's been so heart-filling to gather--for the ward party (even for the hours of prep!), for concerts, and for celebrating. People are so full of goodness. We had the best birthday visits this week (we try to visit all the sisters the week of their birthday)--first the sweet Sandall's who ALWAYS have such fun attitudes about life. Their lives are tricky with health struggles and lives of changed priorities, but now that they're reveling in great grandchildren, and have seen so much, they have such a good way of laughing at life and enjoying things. Our next visit was to Heidi Bailey, who was just widowed last year, and her widowed neighbor Iris was over for their weekly "Wednesday movie night" where they get together for dinner and a movie. They had us cuddle in on the couches with them, showed us their latest favorite comedian skits and had us laughing & wishing we could join them all the time! Life is SO much better together! For the ward party, Bishop asked our RS activity committee to pull it together, but Tricia is planning Josh's wedding, and we suggested at least putting a new person in charge. We got Stephanie, a new member in the apartments, just moved here from Oregon (ironically, her bishop there was in our GA ward!) after a recent 3rd marriage. She's a bit eccentric, and loves to make a lot of comments at church, and she had never been in charge of something like this, but she had a great vision for a "Shepherd's Night" where we dressed as shepherds, brought blankets to eat on the floor picnic style, and ate charcuterie board style dinner of meats, cheeses, flatbreads, and olives that would resemble food they would've had waiting for the birth of Christ. As such an awkward person myself, I LOVE seeing how we all can succeed in our own ways. Larissa in our ward, also eccentric, but SUCH a hard worker, and so devoted, when she was asked to be our service committee chair, asked if she could do it on a trial basis, because she wasn't sure she was cut out for it. She is one of the new additions to the ward, and has hated not knowing everyone's names/where they lived, so she took it upon herself to make a giant (bulletin board size) map of the ward with velcro nametags that everyone can wear. She has us put them on in RS, and had some ready for the ward party, and she LOVES it! Of course, most of us feel silly, and the older ladies on the back row threaten to switch theirs all around just to be funny, but we are getting to know each other better. Larissa did what she could do, Stephanie did what she could do, and awkward or not, we all bring what we have and we're all better for it! Now, you know our traditional ward, and some people were a bit wary of our party (even complaining to the bishop) and maybe some stayed away because they didn't want to dress up or missed a formal sit-down dinner, but seeing Stephanie be able to succeed at something new because of so many supportive people and hard workers, and seeing bonds formed in that time together was better than any level of fancy. As I alone hunted down the old Christmas trees in the church attic above the stage last week, everything seemed a bit daunting, but once we all got together, with so many hands there to help and so many good ideas, I was amazed at how much we could get done. The decorations and food turned out great, and just sitting around on our blankets singing Christmas carols together brought everyone together in good and happy ways. It was all the picture of Elder Gong's quote: "We come to the Inn as we are, with the foibles and imperfections we each have. Yet we all have something needed to contribute. Our journey to God is often found together." That gets truer to me ALL THE TIME: "Our journey to God is often found TOGETHER." Even a podcast I was listening to about growth mindset said they've found that the most effective way to bring growth is not for an individual to have that growth attitude or belief, but for a whole classroom, or group or community to share the belief that we can grow and progress. It's such a ZION principle, that as much as we may try anything on our own, there is really a multiplier effect as we work together and do a better job of making room for each other. So excited Emily found out she's headed to Santiago Chile next semester, and that they told her on her birthday!! Jane's birthday is tomorrow, and she wants... wait for it... a HERMIT CRAB!!!! Monet's mom did all the research on lowest-maintenance pets, and this wins, so we'll see how pet #3 goes for Jane. Hope you get to have tastes of Christmas there, and know how much we love you!! Love, Mom

11/26/23

Oh, you made our Thanksgiving being able to call that night! My ONLY regret was not getting a picture of everyone while we were together, but it has been such a full and happy week! We started off going to the last night of Anne's Madrigal Dinner. I took the 2 girls to enjoy the 4 course meal and beautiful concert---their singing is SO LOVELY, and such a gift after so many years of school choir concerts. It's such a fun setup with everyone being a part of the king's court dining together with music that (mostly) fits the mood of that era with lots of a capella, and the live brass quintet. And Anne really bonded with the choir after so many hours together the past week. Just did RS meeting in the car as we made birthday visits, got together with Amber and Ryan, and school was only 1/2 day Tuesday, so we've enjoyed SUCH a nice break! I put together a menu/schedule for Turkey day to help my time management, and it was GREAT having so many helpers around! Anne drove down (w/ me sleeping in the passenger seat) to pick up Emily Wed afternoon, and we got started on pie crusts and turkey. (Stacey inspired me to try brining our turkey, so I got a salt water soak set up for them!) Maddie and Brian got here that night in time for a late supper, and it was so warm and cozy (and hilarious) having everyone together. I got sucked into Family History before anyone woke up Thursday, and printed off the Mayflower passenger list with all of our ancestors highlighted. I have always loved the story of the teenage boy (John Howland) that FELL OFF the deck during a storm, but survived by catching hold of a rope that dangled into the water. (They've even made a children's book about it I just ordered since he later married Elizabeth Tilley, another passenger whose whole family died, and they had 10 children, all of which lived to adulthood! and now have millions of descendants!) There were SO MANY that died on the ship, or that first winter, that it blows my mind any survived at all AND that they have such a posterity! We had Barbi and her boys over, as well as Tiffany and her son Calvin, and they were all good sports with our thanksgiving songs and stories before dinner. Maddie's family headed home after pie that night, and we've spent the last couple of days putting up Christmas decorations. I took the older girls to Logan last night to play tennis and thrift shop before pizza and a Hallmark movie. Brent was going to join us, but stayed back to watch we THOUGHT would be a BYU win after being up for 3 quarters 21-6, only to LOSE IN DOUBLE OVERTIME to OSU, AGGHHHHHH. No bowl game this year, so you're not missing much of a season. Anne's getting her patriarchal blessing this morning, and then Emily will head home tonight. It's been a full week, and even though I'm often easily overwhelmed, it's been so good to be so reminded of blessings. I loved this quote from Elder Sabin this morning: "You will never be happier than when you are grateful" And I read they've done studies showing gratitude for/towards PEOPLE actually means that much more---and I'm SOO GRATEFUL for you! Love you and your pure goodness so much! Love, Mom

11/19/23

When I went to open LaVonna's old apartment for the cleaners the other day, I almost gasped because where there had been just a few dead plants and what I thought were weeds, there were all of these blooms to greet me. It was like a little message of life in the middle of remembering death. My good friend Kristy's mom had her funeral Saturday morning (I got to watch on Zoom), and as I've cycled through a range of emotions this week, and as I've thought of the respiration cycle in my breathing meditation, and as the seasons are cycling into change again, I've (amazingly!) felt a new gratitude for cycles, for the healing and growth that come from what seems sometimes hopeless and repetitive. We were talking about the iterative process of prayer/seeking God today in SS, and I looked up the difference between iterative and reiterative. Reiterative is basically a synonym for repetition, while "Iterative" is a math/science term which repeats the action BUT with NEW VALUE. I have wrestled a lot with cyles over the years. When I took my meditation class, I think I first learned to look at what seemed like useless circular motion as climbing a spiral staircase, and that's iterative. And the way we can breathe air in one way, and breathe it out transformed, I love thinking of how cycles can be transformative (even though it's sometimes hard to remember!), and that we can find hope even in difficult situations knowing there's that potential. I didn't have too much planned this week, so thought I should be able to get in lots of extra visits, but then there was so much laundry, and I got into deep cleaning bathrooms, and Seth needed help, and I didn't get to as much as I had hoped, and it was one of those times where I was seeing my weak spots more glaringly. Then today at church, the car had left, but Seth didn't have his coat and it was a little drippy. I wasn't overly worried about still walking home, but two of our sweet widows were following us out, and asked Super Seth if he wanted to ride in their car, and he did! They were laughing at me not being able to open the doors on their high tech car, I made sure the one's daughter was recovering okay from back surgery, and double checked on an identity theft issue with the other, and just loved being with them. As they quizzed Seth on directions home (which he knew of course, with his scooter practice) and they dropped us off, I thought, what a sweet nod from God that was to BRING me a little visit with the women I wanted to see this week. I felt SO known and seen. (It was a good cycling through of feelings of inadequacy to strengthening/assistance). Because the weather was near 60 all week, we took advantage of cheap winter Zoo fare, and took the littles (and 2 school skippers) to Hogle Zoo. Breely and Lily rode with us, and Maddie met us with her boys. We saw SO many great animals!! Feeding the red panda, leaping seals, an iguana that looked like it was about to start talking to us, and a swimming jumping polar bear that was OVERWHELMING!! I also ran into one of my old roommates Brooke, who was there with her first grade field trip--haven't seen her for at least a decade! It was such a great day--Seth had never been, and of course, loved it all, and was SO thrilled to be with Tommy, Henry wanted to hold my hand!💗, Lily stayed so cheery without a nap, and Lucy and Jane ended up being extra helpful with all the little ones. My favorite line from Seth was when we encountered this young wildcat expert by the leopard who asked if we had any questions and was a walking expert. Seth asked if they swam and then how high they could jump, and by the 3rd question, he whispered up to me, "I'm really good at this!" I tried digging out our leaning Linden tree in the backyard, then called for professional free estimates, where I think the nice tree guy was trying not to laugh at my ideas to move it. I also re-stained the front door while I could leave the door open a bit. I had an order pickup in Layton, so I ran to pick that up with Seth after library storytime, and I finally got to meet adorable Baby Everett (Masina's and Colter's) when we dropped by Stacey's for a bit. Seth did not want to leave, and "Aunt Stacey's house" was one of the first things he wanted to write on our "Grateful Tree." Dad & I went to ward temple night Friday, and last night I helped in the kitchen for the HS Madrigals dinner that Anne was singing in last night. It is a BIG deal with 4 courses and almost 200 people served every night! Schwew!! It made cooking Thanksgiving dinner seem like no big deal! I got to work with Shylee Koefed's parents (she's still dating Braxton--they both run at ISU) Anne & I got home around 11, but we got to bring so much leftover food home that I barely had any cooking to do for the missionaries coming over. They are a treat--one from NC, and one from TX, and one is a SINGER!!!!! I begged him for at least Christmas carols, and had Brian play for him, but after one verse, I was like, "Oh, you can play AND sing I bet!!"--he was SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!!! and he did sit at the piano without a stitch of music, and sang this gorgeous arrangement of "Because I Have Been Given Much" --his voice was like BUTTER--AND Southern accent?!!! I almost didn't let them leave. Emily also had an awesome experience meeting a Catholic lady from Colombia on the bus to SLC, and visiting with her so much that they both knew it was no coincidence they ended up together. Missing you as we have so much family time this week, love you SO SO MUCH!!!! (and Brent just realized you've been out now as long as his whole mission!) Love, Mom