It’s been another busy week, but a good one. Last Sunday was our ward conference. As President Batt started speaking, he said, “What would ward conference be without calling people up from the audience to bear their testimonies.” I had the impression that I might be called. When I wasn’t I just dismissed it. Well, today, President Fulks of the stake presidency was the concluding speaker in our sacrament meeting. He asked that I bear my testimony. I did have about 20 minutes notice to think about it. He said I was to bear my testimony regarding our calling as missionaries in the Family History Center. I was impressed that I was to tell the experiences I’ve had over the last few months concerning the finding and doing the work for Johannes Rufener. So that’s what I did. I spoke probably seven or eight minutes. I asked him later if I took too long and he told me know that it was just right and what I told them he didn’t have to tell them. His talk was also on Family History which I didn’t know while I was giving my talk. It was a good experience for me. I also told them that my sweet husband was not only baptized for Johannes Rufener and his son but went thro’ for his endowments last Friday. Now I feel like that chapter is completed. He still needs to do the endowments for Johannes, the son and Samuel another son.
Last week was our last training class as missionaries at FHC. Elder Killian taught the last class of three that day and told us about Rootsweb.com which is another website where people post genealogy. After wards he asked to just say a few words concerning our missions there. There were six of us completing our training that day. He told us that our work there was very important and was part of God’s work and His plan. He also told us that the General Authorities have told him that people who work at family history centers will have a special role in the here after. He said that people will be lined up by the hundreds to have us help them get connected to their families. He got quite emotional while he was telling us this and I got emotional also. I felt a great thrill go thro’ me to think that I am part of this great work. I have had a witness many times in the last six weeks that this is what we are supposed to be doing at this time. I am so thankful that my health has improved to the point I can do this. I know that I can be instrumental in finding Johannes Rufener’s parents and his ancestors. I believe that I can also be instrumental in finding Nathaniel Bowen’s parents and ancestors on my mother’s side of the family. The people who have been researching that side of the family have hit a brick wall and can find nothing on him beyond his birth. It may take many years, but, hey, I’ve got time!
That evening at 5:00 we had our second zone conference since we started our mission. We were asked if we would take care of the music. At first Elder Killian tho’t it was Brother & Sister Carl & Kerry Robbins who was taking care of the music. We both of us over lap on Wednesdays from 1-5 so there is some confusion there since our names are so close. Sister LaRita Hendricks gave her conversion story. She was 21 years old when she joined the church. She had been raised as a catholic. She was very religious as was her husband. When he was in danger of being drafted to go to Vietnam, he joined the Navy. They both were raised in Blackfoot. The young missionary who found her in Ventura, California, was raised in Moorland, just west of Blackfoot. They were both home sick and had an immediate bonding. She wanted to learn more about her husband’s faith even tho’ she had no intension of joining the church at the time. Of course once she found out it was true, she could do nothing else. She also had Lane Harker, who was the young missionary come and speak to us for a few minutes as well. I had stayed there at the center and continued working on my PAF program, while Karl ran errands and went home and got me a half of sandwich. I was very hungry by the time he got back. We got home about 6:15. So I was there at the center for approximately 10 ½ hours. It was a long day and altho’ I was very tired, it was a good feeling. I was very glad to have been there. I also had the confirmation that by my being Relief Society pianist again, I can be practiced up and can play most any song they can pick without any advanced notice. That is a good feeling also. That is a case where preparation many years ago makes it possible to fulfill those callings now. When Brother Paul Chugg, first counselor in our bishopric, set me apart as the RS pianist, he told me that I would have the health and ability to play and do my best. That blessing has certainly come to pass already. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing this time and altho’ a play a few minutes almost every day, I don’t have to spend hours practicing before I could play well like I did when I was called to be RS pianist before when I hadn’t played the piano for many years. I’m am so thankful that my parents allowed me to and provided a way for me to learn the piano when I was young.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
A Wonderful Day
I called Shonda Queen last Tuesday and found out that they have “walk-in” baptisms for the dead every day from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm and then the wards in the area do them every day from 4:30 to 6:30. We went to the temple Friday and went thro’ the 2:00 pm session. Before going to get ready for the session I took the temple submission disk to Shonda and she printed up the cards that needed work done. We had submitted Johannes Rufener’s whole family. It turns out that some of his children were done and some were not. There were two baptisms that needed to be done and three initiatory and endowments that needed to be done. All were men. It was a very nice session. My allergies are bothering me more now than they have since I was 16 years old! My eyes have been itching more this year than since then. They feel better especially in bright light when they are closed. So I closed my eyes a lot during the session but did keep awake. After the session we went down to the cafeteria and ate. While we were eating I told my sweetheart that I tho’t we should get the cards out of my suitcase and check out the baptistery and see if there were someone there who could be baptized for Johannes Rufener, my great-great- great grandfather and his son, Johannes Rufener. He said he would go with me. We didn’t know where the baptistery was or how to get there. I asked Sister Barzee whom I know from the FHC and she told me the women get there thro’ the women’s dressing room and it’s down the long hall before the cafeteria in the basement. I told Karl he’d have to find his own way, but it would probably be thro’ the men’s dressing room. I went down there looking for it. I went thro’ the door at the end of the hallway and entered another hallway with many doors on each side. I saw the baptistery but no one was in it. I went out and went up stairs and looked for Karl. I could not see him anywhere. I went downstairs again and headed down that hallway again. I saw Walt Mickelson who lived next door to us more than 30 years ago. He noted that his wife Donna was going into the women officiators changing room at the other side of a sitting area up the hallway. He told me to go in there and talk to her while she was changing. I hadn’t seen her for more than 20 years as close as I can figure. Karl has seen her a few times there at the temple but I hadn’t. I had to introduce myself to both Walt and Donna. It was sooo good to see her. We caught up on each other children and how many grandchildren we all had. Then I knew I needed to go find Karl for sure. I went back down the long hallway, saw the entryway into the women’s dressing room and peeked in but couldn’t see anyone to question. I tried the door that was next to it but the door knob was stiff and appeared to be locked. I peered into the baptistery but there still wasn’t anyone there. So I went back upstairs to see if Karl had gone back up there. I still couldn’t see him anywhere. I went back to the reception desk and told Sister Nield that there was no one down there. She said she had just talked to someone down there so she knew someone was there. She said she would walk me down. When we got down there she pointed to the door that I tho’t was locked and said to go in there. I opened the door and there sat Karl patiently waiting for me. Dorine and David Adams were the officiators who were over the baptistery. They are very good friends of Karen & Kent and were instrumental in helping Kent to becoming active in the church and going thro’ the temple. The ward who was assigned to that time slot hadn’t shown up. David said that any time he could help with baptisms there he jumped at the chance because he just loved to do them. I told him that Sister Nield had suggested that maybe they could get some of the other officiators to witness the baptism etc. and Karl could be baptized for them. Karl wasn’t too happy about getting completely undressed again but he knew how important it was to me and since Dave said that he would be glad to do the baptizing he consented to do it. Kim had volunteered to baptize Nathaniel for them but I wanted to be there and witness it so I chose to do it this way. If we end up with many names sometime then we can go that route. Anyway, it was a wonderful experience. I’m sure Johannes Rufener, born December 22, 1780 was there. I felt so emotional when Karl was being both baptized and confirmed for him and had such a warm feeling again. I didn’t feel as much as when his son was done. I tho’t maybe his work had already been done so maybe that was why. I checked on the IIGI when I got home (It had been down all week long so I couldn’t check before; I had tried that morning and couldn’t get it.)….and there was no record of the son’s work having been done. Samuel Rufener’s baptism & confirmation had been done but not the initiatory or endowment. I felt sooo good afterwards. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that his work is finely being completed. And it is sooo neat being instrumental in it. It is wonderful being part of this important work. While Karl was in getting his clothes changed, President DeMordant of the temple presidency came down to see how they were doing there in the baptistery. I introduced myself to him and told him I am an RN (I didn't explain that RN now stood for Retired Nurse instead of Registerd Nurse) and had worked with him at the hospital a few times. (He was a radiologist there at EIRMC when I was there.) He asked if I were still working. I told him no that I hadn’t worked for 6 ½ years but my husband and I were now serving as service missionaries at the Regional Family History Center here in IF. He asked me how I liked it. I told him I loved it and am learning so much. He told me that the work we are doing is a very important work and that we were serving where the Lord wanted us to serve. It was wonderful to have that confirmation again. I know that this work is very important and I know that the Church is true. I’m so thankful to be alive in this day and age.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
It's Mother's Day
It’s Mother’s Day. We had a very nice sacrament meeting with two youth speakers, a returned missionary and a one-time grandpa speak. All about mothers. It was all very interesting. I need to call my mother in a bit and I hope all of my children call me. That is one very nice thing about Mother’s Day is being able to talk to all of my children. Karen came Friday afternoon and gave me a beautiful card with a heart felt message in it. And a WillowTree figurine entitled “Chrysalis…protect and cherish and give wings to fly.” It’s a mother standing with her arm around a daughter who is almost as tall as she is. It is beautiful. We had a lovely visit. It had been a long time since she was here.
We were in our fourth week of our mission last week. I am learning so much! Good hints and becoming more confident with the PAF program so I will be able to help others. In a class Wednesday I learned that I could make a temple submission file for just Johannes Rufener (my third great-grandfather on my fahter’s side) and have his work done. I need to call Shonda Queen who works at the temple and see when baptisms are being done then I can go watch it done and then have Karl complete his work. I feel a thrill that it is getting close. We tho’t it was done toward the end of last year but, it was the wrong Johannes Rufener. I found that that is a very common name in Switzerland especially in the 1700-1800’s. I’ve been cleaning up my PAF file that we down loaded from the Ancestral File and am just about ready to go into PAF insight and get any of the ordinances that have been done since the Ancestral File hasn’t been added to anymore, I think that is 1990 or 2000 or something like that. My sweetheart spent all day yesterday formatting floppy disks. They got a big box from the temple and if they are reformatted, then they can be used again and not have to charge the patrons for them. The reformatting will also show up any bad disks. It’s something he can remember how to do and he doesn’t mind doing it. After a while I think I would be bored stiff. My first two hours yesterday were on the computers or the floor as they call it. The second of those first two hours was a PAF class. Then I was on #5 which is books, maps and death records. With the books, a section about a yard wide and ten shelves high need to be checked and made sure they are all in the right order. They all have ascension numbers, which is the order in which they were receive by the library (in a given topic). We also replace all of the books on the shelves that patrons have used. The maps there are 15 long metal drawers that have maps of the different states and countries in different eras. That took forever to count and my back was killing me by the time I finished. There were quite a few out of order; I could tell it had been awhile since they had been checked. On the books and microfilm and microfische, there are just sections that need to be done and you sign a sheet to see where the last one finished and you sign it so the next one will know where to start. I think I will make a suggestion that they divide up the map drawers that way too because it is too hard to do all 15 at once and if they don’t have a signup sheet then just the first four or five will be done all the time and the lower ones won’t be done. I had to ask my sweetheart to come and help me on the loser drawers. Altho’ I was sitting down, it was so hard to bend over to count the ones just above the floor. He helped me with the last four drawers. Some of those maps are very large…five feet by five feet or so. My next assignment was #3 which is microfilm. You are supposed to check at least one drawer, the average is four per person, and return any microfilm to the drawer that the patrons have used and put in the basket. After doing those other assigned tasks you can then go to the floor and be there available to help the patrons or work on your own line. The last two hours I was at the desk. When you are there, you have to stay close by to answer the phone, empty the printer, greet the patrons as they come in, etc. I was tired by the time I got home. I don’t feel like doing much of anything for a while. I just warmed up some leftover macaroni/tomato soup that I had made the day before and sat in my chair and rested after that for a few hours before doing anything else. I think I will have leftovers to heat up for every Saturday. It is so much better. I was tired but it was a good kind of tired. I sleep very well lately. I’ve officially caught the “Spirit of Elijah”! I feel the spirit while there at the center and even here at home when I’m working on my program. I know we are doing the Lord’s work and doing what He wants us to do. I know that the Family History Program is a very important part of the three-fold mission of the Church. It is so neat being a part of it. I’ve decided that I might as well take over the roll that Aunt Pearl had before she died of keeping track of all of the people and ordinance work in my siblings families and my children’s and grandchildren’s families. With the computer it won’t be that difficult. I learned how to make a GED.com file and send it by e-mail yesterday so now I need to write up the directions and send them to my brother and sisters and have them send me the dates and ordinances on their children and grandchildren. That will be much faster to do it that way than typing all of the data and sending it via e-mail. I love this work!
We were in our fourth week of our mission last week. I am learning so much! Good hints and becoming more confident with the PAF program so I will be able to help others. In a class Wednesday I learned that I could make a temple submission file for just Johannes Rufener (my third great-grandfather on my fahter’s side) and have his work done. I need to call Shonda Queen who works at the temple and see when baptisms are being done then I can go watch it done and then have Karl complete his work. I feel a thrill that it is getting close. We tho’t it was done toward the end of last year but, it was the wrong Johannes Rufener. I found that that is a very common name in Switzerland especially in the 1700-1800’s. I’ve been cleaning up my PAF file that we down loaded from the Ancestral File and am just about ready to go into PAF insight and get any of the ordinances that have been done since the Ancestral File hasn’t been added to anymore, I think that is 1990 or 2000 or something like that. My sweetheart spent all day yesterday formatting floppy disks. They got a big box from the temple and if they are reformatted, then they can be used again and not have to charge the patrons for them. The reformatting will also show up any bad disks. It’s something he can remember how to do and he doesn’t mind doing it. After a while I think I would be bored stiff. My first two hours yesterday were on the computers or the floor as they call it. The second of those first two hours was a PAF class. Then I was on #5 which is books, maps and death records. With the books, a section about a yard wide and ten shelves high need to be checked and made sure they are all in the right order. They all have ascension numbers, which is the order in which they were receive by the library (in a given topic). We also replace all of the books on the shelves that patrons have used. The maps there are 15 long metal drawers that have maps of the different states and countries in different eras. That took forever to count and my back was killing me by the time I finished. There were quite a few out of order; I could tell it had been awhile since they had been checked. On the books and microfilm and microfische, there are just sections that need to be done and you sign a sheet to see where the last one finished and you sign it so the next one will know where to start. I think I will make a suggestion that they divide up the map drawers that way too because it is too hard to do all 15 at once and if they don’t have a signup sheet then just the first four or five will be done all the time and the lower ones won’t be done. I had to ask my sweetheart to come and help me on the loser drawers. Altho’ I was sitting down, it was so hard to bend over to count the ones just above the floor. He helped me with the last four drawers. Some of those maps are very large…five feet by five feet or so. My next assignment was #3 which is microfilm. You are supposed to check at least one drawer, the average is four per person, and return any microfilm to the drawer that the patrons have used and put in the basket. After doing those other assigned tasks you can then go to the floor and be there available to help the patrons or work on your own line. The last two hours I was at the desk. When you are there, you have to stay close by to answer the phone, empty the printer, greet the patrons as they come in, etc. I was tired by the time I got home. I don’t feel like doing much of anything for a while. I just warmed up some leftover macaroni/tomato soup that I had made the day before and sat in my chair and rested after that for a few hours before doing anything else. I think I will have leftovers to heat up for every Saturday. It is so much better. I was tired but it was a good kind of tired. I sleep very well lately. I’ve officially caught the “Spirit of Elijah”! I feel the spirit while there at the center and even here at home when I’m working on my program. I know we are doing the Lord’s work and doing what He wants us to do. I know that the Family History Program is a very important part of the three-fold mission of the Church. It is so neat being a part of it. I’ve decided that I might as well take over the roll that Aunt Pearl had before she died of keeping track of all of the people and ordinance work in my siblings families and my children’s and grandchildren’s families. With the computer it won’t be that difficult. I learned how to make a GED.com file and send it by e-mail yesterday so now I need to write up the directions and send them to my brother and sisters and have them send me the dates and ordinances on their children and grandchildren. That will be much faster to do it that way than typing all of the data and sending it via e-mail. I love this work!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Another Busy Week
This week went by sooo fast. We started with a very nice but normal Sunday. I think that that was the only normal day of the week. This week went by sooo fast. We started with a very nice but normal Sunday. I think that that was the only normal day of the week. Monday we were at the FHC by 8:40 for prayer meeting before our missionary training classes started. We learned sooo much. It is almost mind boggling. The classes were on Computer Catalog and Books, Maps and Obituaries and Basic PAF, loading program: zip & ged.com, restore and import, etc. They were very interesting. We even had homework we had to do. I hope they let us know tomorrow how we did. We finished it last Wednesday and turned it in. We found out that they have all the cemetery records in South East Idaho and are digitalizing them to go to SLC FHC so they can be obtained from the familysearch.com. That will be so helpful. I understand that Utah has already done that. Monday night Elena, my Pilates teacher and personal trainer (I meet with her once a month for the rest of the year then I think that is enough.) called and told me that she missed me at Pilates. I reminded her that I told her the week before I wouldn’t be able to come on Mondays anymore because of our training classes. She isn’t a member of the church so I’m not sure she understands the commitment this mission call will take but I do know she doesn’t understand the blessings that will come with it. She had told me the week before that this week would be the last week on the contract and that I would need to sign a new contract. I told her that I had decided that I couldn’t work Pilates into my schedule, that I had found that the water aerobics was helping me more and more and I would get my workouts that way from now on. She more or less “ripped me up one side and down the other” and told me that I had come so far but would really regress badly if I didn’t keep up the Pilates. I tried to explain about the time element now we were spending three days a week at the Family History Center. And she just went on and on. After I hung up my sweetheart told me that I was almost starting to use my assertive voice with her. I told me that I needed to because she wasn’t listening. I felt like I had lost a friend. Thirty minutes later she called me back and apologized and said that I knew what was best for me. I felt relieved about that. When I saw her Wednesday for that last class, she acted as if nothing had happened. Tuesday, I started the day with the 9:00 water aerobics. It was a good class. Karl went to Tiebreaker Elementary School to help tutor first graders in reading. We met at 10:30 for the Silver Sneakers exercise class. The afternoon was uneventful until 7:00 when I went over to Adele Harper’s home to help the young women crochet. I got home about 8:30. Wednesday, I woke up before 6:30 on my own. I had been planning on going to the water aerobics but felt I had better get that last Pilates class over with. I hadn’t gone at all the week before to Pilates. I did work my “abbs” in the water tho’. The class was very hard for me. My back bothered me more than it had done for a long, long time. As I was walking down the stairs I felt like an old woman. I remembered that I went down so quickly the day before after Silver Sneakers. This time I had to go so slowly. I ached all over. Especially my neck and back. I knew then that I had made the right decision concerning Pilates. I went home and changed my clothes to get ready to go to the FHC. I had an 11:00 nail appointment and we had to be to the center by 12:15 for a special missionary meeting. So Karl took me to have my nails done and just read the paper and pulled weeds while he waited for me to get done. The work at the Center was very gratifying. I even was able to help a person or two and I knew who to ask when I was asked about something I didn’t know. Elder Hall (he has been there for 12 ½ years and is 81 years old; his wife died about 3 ½ years ago and even tho’ he lives in Rexburg, he seems to practically live there at the Center.) helped me re-download my father’s and then my mother’s lines from the Ancestral File. It took almost all night because he was the director from 5-9 and had other things to do. I helped Karl with things on his file while I was waiting for him. When we finally got it done, it was on two different floppy 3 ½ disks. We got home just before 9:30. Altho’I was sooo tired, I still downloaded my file to my PAF. (I was very thankful that I could do all four things. It hasn’t been too long ago that I was only able to do one thing per day so I had to choose.) With the two disks I had to put each one in three times to restore my program. I told Karl that that really got old fast and we needed to get a flash drive the next day for sure. I had talked to Bryan about them and he had sent me some info he had found online. I went to bed about 10:45. I woke up on my own before 6:30. I had plenty of time to take my shower, check out the weather on the computer and practice the piano besides drinking my protein drink before I went to the water aerobics. I had four things planned for the day, but I was still so tired from the day before that I cut it down to two. I just went to the water aerobics and then I had a 1:00 appointment with Shelley for a massage and after my last efforts at Pilates I really needed one. (My back still bothers me a little more than it did before that class.) In between, I called Wal-Mart, Office Max, Best Buy, and Circuit City to compare prices for flash drives. I found out that Office Max had a 2 Gig for $29.99. Karl strongly felt we should check that out so we did on the way home. When I found out that the regular price was $79.99, it didn’t take long to get one. I came home and stored my PAF and Karl’s PAF program to it. He says he’ll still use the floppy for now as long as it keeps working. I anticipate that that won’t be too long. It goes onto the flash drive just as fast as it does the C drive. That surprised me because it took forever with the 3 ½ floppies. Later that night at 7:00 I went to Book Club Enrichment Group. We discussed the Willa Cather book, My Antonia. I got home before 9:00. Friday, I went to water aerobics, then to the doctor’s office to get an iron infusion (this is because my gastric bypass has caused malabsorption of iron and my Ferritin levels keep dropping….if that’s the only bad result from it, that’s not too bad…I still would have done it.) I met a woman who just learned she had insulin resistance so I talked to her about that while I had the IV and then 30 minutes after it finished. I felt like I had made a new friend. (we talked of other things too.) We had zone meeting (we are a zone by ourselves—the missionaries at the FHC) at the temple and were to be in our seats by 6:00pm. Since we had some errands to run and wanted to eat supper there before the session, we left at 4:30. We had a meeting in the chapel and then went to the 7:00 session. And was it a big session! They brought in about 5-7 chairs to seat everyone. Elder Bob Anderson from the center gave the talk. He told us that each of us was meant to be there at the Center at this time in our lives. (My tho’t was “but I’ve had tho’ts about this for at least a year” wondering if I can do this. Then the tho’t came to me, “Where do you think those tho’ts came from?” It was a very nice session. I was very tired when we got home but it was a good kind of tired. Saturday, I woke up after only about 4 hours of sleep. Altho’ I would have liked to have gone back to sleep I couldn’t. ….my mind was too active thinking about the things at the Center etc. We had a very eventful day at the center. We were assigned tasks there just like all the other missionaries. We change stations every two hours. If we should finish our tasks before the two hours is up, then we can go to the computers. I was on the desk alone. I got along fine. Karl was on with Brother Anderson. I had stored by PAF and Karl’s to the flash drive. I tried to add something to it and it wouldn’t add. It came back with the message, “This is a read only file and cannot be written on. I asked Sister Carl if she could help me and when she came over she saw that it had U3 on it. This means that it keeps you from adding things to it which defeats our purposes. Anyway, Sister Carl was able to take it off. When I told her that I would have to go to SLC FHC to find the original records for my Johannes Rufener she asked why. I told her that they had special books down there for the 1700’s etc. She said but they’ve been put on microfilm and we can order them here. So she helped me fill out he order form and we got it ordered. It will be here in three to four weeks or so…hopefully sooner than later. It would be more than four weeks before we could go down, because we need to finish our training first, anyway. After the Center closed at 5:00pm, we went to Saving Center. I didn’t “let down” until after I got home. And, boy, was I tired! I was glad that we had gotten some TV dinners there at Savings Center and that’s what we had for supper. I didn’t do anything else last night, I was so tired. But it was a good kind of tired. I only got 5 hours of sleep last night and four the night before (because of going to the temple and being at the center yesterday, I didn’t get my water in earlier in the day like I had been and I had to wake up to empty my bladder.) I’m going to make sure I get my water in early in the day from now on and I should be able to get more sleep. Today, I’ve been tired but it has been a good day. The meetings were all very good and my piano playing went well. Oh, I almost forgot. Wednesday we were asked to be the official piano player and song leader for the afternoon prayer meeting. So we start this Wednesday.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Our Mission Call
We received our mission call two weeks ago yesterday. It was hand delivered by President Fulks, second counselor in the Stake Presidency. We were set apart the next day. I asked Pres. Fulks, "What do we do now....just wait to be contacted by the director?" He told me yes. So we waited and waited and waited and finally I called the FHC on Thursday. They told me that there was a new missionary training meeting starting Monday @ 9:00 Am with prayer meeting at 8:45. Well, we didn't know for sure how long it would take to drive there and with all the lights against us and construction going on around the building, we got there late....about 8:55. We were welcomed anyway. Sister Hendricks took us in hand and showed us the ropes. Elder Killian, the FHC director, told us that this is the best mission we could possibly serve because we are able to live at home, and keep up with our family and friends. He told us it would also be the hardest mission we ever served because we were living at home and keeping up with our family and friends. He said we would have to set boundries, because family and friends tend to forget that we are on a mission because we are living at home. We would have to be commited. We were given a binder with a schedule in it. We will have the training classes for the next five weeks on Monday morning. We were told that we are to wear our name tags every time we are wearing our Sunday clothes whether it is to go to church, the temple, a reception, or funeral. It is good advertizing and a great conversation starter. We got home about 12:30. We also were assigned that morning to the days we would work. Wednesday evening, 1:00pm to 9:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm. I didn't realize that they had prayer meeting before the 1:00pm shift also (I should have tho't) so instead of being ten minutes early we were five minutes late. We were on time Saturday morning.
We are learning lots. Altho' I'm comfortable with the computer and know a little around the PAF program, I am learning something new everytime I turn around. My sweetheart knows nothing about the PC nor the PAF program, but he is willing to learn and I hope is not getting too overwelmed. He spent about three hours yesterday working with Elder McCary learning to get into and out of the PAF program the FamilySearch.com site and to cut and paste. He has to keep practicing patience with himself. I'm thankful that he is willing to get out of his comfort zone and do this with me.
I've been having trouble identifing my third great grandfather on my father's side. It is my Grandma Wendel's great grandfather, Johannes Rufener, born 22 Dec 1780 in Blumenstein, Bern, Switzerland. There are only 53 Johannes Rufener born in the same place in a ten year peroid. The Johannes Rufener that my thrid great grandmother and her daughter have been sealed to (and therefore me too) was born in 1792 in the same place and I recently learned he must have died before his brother, Johannes Rufener was born in 1796. So therefore he could not possibly be my progenitor. (The one born in 1792.) Just this last Friday, I called Renda Smith in our ward to see if I could use her ancestry.com. She told me to tell her the names I was looking for and she'd look them up for me. She found Susanna Rufener who is my second great grandmother and had her parents as Johannes Rufener born in 1792 and Anna Rufener born in 1794. I felt so terrible when she gave me that information. I really felt bad. I said, "What do I do now?" Renda told me that's the way family history goes. Shortly after I had the impression to put into familysearch.com Anna's death date, 3 Dec 1822. When I did, it brought up her husband, Johannes Rufener, born 22 Dec 1780. And a death date!! 14 Jun 1848. I got the most wonderful warm feeling come over me. I was thrilled thro' and thro'. I received the confirmation that these were my progenitors and they were the ones I need to be sealed to. This Johannes Rufener will need to have his work done for him then I can call Salt Lake and have the sealing changed. I will have to take a trip to the Family History Center and look at the original records and find out the parents for my Johannes Rufener.
Last Wednesday evening, Elder Hall helped me divide my and Karl's lines onto two different programs. He took us to the old Ancesteral File and put them on our respective lines. I started out with 712 names and now have over 10,000 names! I'm not sure how many my sweetheart has but more than he started with I know. While we were in the Ancesteral file, he went in and found out who had Johannes Rufener, 1792 sealed to Anna Rufener; it was Aunt Pearl! When I was telling someone about that Friday, I got the tho't that maybe she got over there and found out she had made a mistake and she's the one who has been "bugging" me. My Johannes Rufener also may be ready now and trying to let me know too. Anyway, I am quite thrilled to say the least and feel very blessed and thankful for this oportunity to serve this mission. It is the fourth mission for my sweetheart but my first.
We are learning lots. Altho' I'm comfortable with the computer and know a little around the PAF program, I am learning something new everytime I turn around. My sweetheart knows nothing about the PC nor the PAF program, but he is willing to learn and I hope is not getting too overwelmed. He spent about three hours yesterday working with Elder McCary learning to get into and out of the PAF program the FamilySearch.com site and to cut and paste. He has to keep practicing patience with himself. I'm thankful that he is willing to get out of his comfort zone and do this with me.
I've been having trouble identifing my third great grandfather on my father's side. It is my Grandma Wendel's great grandfather, Johannes Rufener, born 22 Dec 1780 in Blumenstein, Bern, Switzerland. There are only 53 Johannes Rufener born in the same place in a ten year peroid. The Johannes Rufener that my thrid great grandmother and her daughter have been sealed to (and therefore me too) was born in 1792 in the same place and I recently learned he must have died before his brother, Johannes Rufener was born in 1796. So therefore he could not possibly be my progenitor. (The one born in 1792.) Just this last Friday, I called Renda Smith in our ward to see if I could use her ancestry.com. She told me to tell her the names I was looking for and she'd look them up for me. She found Susanna Rufener who is my second great grandmother and had her parents as Johannes Rufener born in 1792 and Anna Rufener born in 1794. I felt so terrible when she gave me that information. I really felt bad. I said, "What do I do now?" Renda told me that's the way family history goes. Shortly after I had the impression to put into familysearch.com Anna's death date, 3 Dec 1822. When I did, it brought up her husband, Johannes Rufener, born 22 Dec 1780. And a death date!! 14 Jun 1848. I got the most wonderful warm feeling come over me. I was thrilled thro' and thro'. I received the confirmation that these were my progenitors and they were the ones I need to be sealed to. This Johannes Rufener will need to have his work done for him then I can call Salt Lake and have the sealing changed. I will have to take a trip to the Family History Center and look at the original records and find out the parents for my Johannes Rufener.
Last Wednesday evening, Elder Hall helped me divide my and Karl's lines onto two different programs. He took us to the old Ancesteral File and put them on our respective lines. I started out with 712 names and now have over 10,000 names! I'm not sure how many my sweetheart has but more than he started with I know. While we were in the Ancesteral file, he went in and found out who had Johannes Rufener, 1792 sealed to Anna Rufener; it was Aunt Pearl! When I was telling someone about that Friday, I got the tho't that maybe she got over there and found out she had made a mistake and she's the one who has been "bugging" me. My Johannes Rufener also may be ready now and trying to let me know too. Anyway, I am quite thrilled to say the least and feel very blessed and thankful for this oportunity to serve this mission. It is the fourth mission for my sweetheart but my first.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
It's Been a Long Time....
.....since I posted a blog that is. Last Tuesday we had three missionaries in our home for supper. It was so nice to have them. They do bring a wonderful Spirit with them. I had signed up to feed them the week before. We were told at that time that if they didn't call us the night before not to count on their being there. Well, they didn't call the night before but I didn't worry because the last time they came in January they didn't call until the morning they were supposed to come. We waited until 9:00 am to go walking at the mall waiting for them to call. They didn't. But I still felt like I needed to be prepared. I had decided to have Hawaiian Haystacks. I need some tomatoes, little green onions, bell pepper, sunflower seeds. I already had the cheese, rice, pineapple, Chinese noodles, chicken chunks and cream of mushroom soup, so we stopped at Smith's on the way home from the Mall. They still hadn't called while we were gone. We had to leave by 10:30 to go to Rigby for my massage which I badly needed. Before we left I called Suzy Jorgenson, who sets up the appointments, and asked if she knew of any change of their plans. She said she hadn't heard but her husband, who is the ward mission leader, told her that in his last meeting with the missionaries, they told him that if they didn't call the night before, not to plan on them. I had cooked some shriveled up apples in the microwave that I planned to use for applesauce cake but that is all I had done. At 3:45 Elder Dennis called and wanted to know if they were still on for supper that night. I said I guess so but I was really wondering if they would be coming since they hadn't called before then. He said they were planning on it. My sweet husband had taken my Taurus to have the oil changed so he wasn't there. I switched into high gear. Elder Dennis said they would be there at 5:00. I got the cake made and was almost in the oven by the time Karl got back. He found the chicken chunks for me and cleared off the table and vacuumed the big room and set the table while I cut up the tomatoes, onions, peppers etc and put the chicken and gravy (cream of mushroom soup) on to warm up the the water for the rice to boil. Everything was done and Iwas just grating the cheese when the door bell rang. I was soooo thankful that I had listened to my feelings (the Holy Ghost I am sure) and that I had the health to be able to work that quickly.
1 1/2 years ago I wouldn't have been able to do it that quickly or that much at once. Karl ended up splitting with them. (I had warned him that they may need him to do that; he had been planning on a quiet evening at home.) I am so thankful that I am living worthy and can receive the promptings of the Holy Ghost and do heed them. He has helped me out so much during my life time. I am so thankful for my membership in the Church and for the many blessings we receive because we are members of the Lord's only true church. Each day I am more grateful for my Savior and His atoning sacrifice. It means more and more to me as time goes on and as my understanding and knowledge increase. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and his support for me and the many things he does to help me. He has always helped me with the housework (when he had time) and with the children. I remember my parents telling me a few years after we were married that they both were very surprised but also very pleased with how much he helped me especially with the children. With three children in less than three years, I really needed that help. He has set such a good example for his sons and they all have followed in his footsteps in that way. I'm also very thankful for the children the Lord blessed us with and for their sweethearts and children. I know that they each one were very valiant in the pre-existence.
1 1/2 years ago I wouldn't have been able to do it that quickly or that much at once. Karl ended up splitting with them. (I had warned him that they may need him to do that; he had been planning on a quiet evening at home.) I am so thankful that I am living worthy and can receive the promptings of the Holy Ghost and do heed them. He has helped me out so much during my life time. I am so thankful for my membership in the Church and for the many blessings we receive because we are members of the Lord's only true church. Each day I am more grateful for my Savior and His atoning sacrifice. It means more and more to me as time goes on and as my understanding and knowledge increase. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and his support for me and the many things he does to help me. He has always helped me with the housework (when he had time) and with the children. I remember my parents telling me a few years after we were married that they both were very surprised but also very pleased with how much he helped me especially with the children. With three children in less than three years, I really needed that help. He has set such a good example for his sons and they all have followed in his footsteps in that way. I'm also very thankful for the children the Lord blessed us with and for their sweethearts and children. I know that they each one were very valiant in the pre-existence.
It's Been a Long Time....
.....since I posted a blog that is. Last Tuesday we had three missionaries in our home for supper. It was so nice to have them. They do bring a wonderful Spirit with them. I had signed up to feed them the week before. We were told at that time that if they didn't call us the night before not to count on their being there. Well, they didn't call the night before but I didn't worry because the last time they came in January they didn't call until the morning they were supposed to come. We waited until 9:00 am to go walking at the mall waiting for them to call. They didn't. But I still felt like I needed to be prepared. I had decided to have Hawaiian Haystacks. I need some tomatoes, little green onions, bell pepper, sunflower seeds. I already had the cheese, rice, pineapple, Chinese noodles, chicken chunks and cream of mushroom soup, so we stopped at Smith's on the way home from the Mall. They still hadn't called while we were gone. We had to leave by 10:30 to go to Rigby for my massage which I badly needed. Before we left I called Suzy Jorgenson, who sets up the appointments, and asked if she knew of any change of their plans. She said she hadn't heard but her husband, who is the ward mission leader, told her that in his last meeting with the missionaries, they told him that if they didn't call the night before, not to plan on them. I had cooked some shriveled up apples in the microwave that I planned to use for applesauce cake but that is all I had done. At 3:45 Elder Dennis called and wanted to know if they were still on for supper that night. I said I guess so but I was really wondering if they would be coming since they hadn't called before then. He said they were planning on it. My sweet husband had taken my Taurus to have the oil changed so he wasn't there. I switched into high gear. Elder Dennis said they would be there at 5:00. I got the cake made and was almost in the oven by the time Karl got back. He found the chicken chunks for me and cleared off the table and vacuumed the big room and set the table while I cut up the tomatoes, onions, peppers etc and put the chicken and gravy (cream of mushroom soup) on to warm up the the water for the rice to boil. Everything was done and Iwas just grating the cheese when the door bell rang. I was soooo thankful that I had listened to my feelings (the Holy Ghost I am sure) and that I had the health to be able to work that quickly.
1 1/2 years ago I wouldn't have been able to do it that quickly or that much at once. Karl ended up splitting with them. (I had warned him that they may need him to do that; he had been planning on a quiet evening at home.) I am so thankful that I am living worthy and can receive the promptings of the Holy Ghost and do heed them. He has helped me out so much during my life time. I am so thankful for my membership in the Church and for the many blessings we receive because we are members of the Lord's only true church. Each day I am more grateful for my Savior and His atoning sacrifice. It means more and more to me as time goes on and as my understanding and knowledge increase. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and his support for me and the many things he does to help me. He has always helped me with the housework (when he had time) and with the children. I remember my parents telling me a few years after we were married that they both were very surprised but also very pleased with how much he helped me especially with the children. With three children in less than three years, I really needed that help. He has set such a good example for his sons and they all have followed in his footsteps in that way. I'm also very thankful for the children the Lord blessed us with and for their sweethearts and children. I know that they each one were very valiant in the pre-existence.
1 1/2 years ago I wouldn't have been able to do it that quickly or that much at once. Karl ended up splitting with them. (I had warned him that they may need him to do that; he had been planning on a quiet evening at home.) I am so thankful that I am living worthy and can receive the promptings of the Holy Ghost and do heed them. He has helped me out so much during my life time. I am so thankful for my membership in the Church and for the many blessings we receive because we are members of the Lord's only true church. Each day I am more grateful for my Savior and His atoning sacrifice. It means more and more to me as time goes on and as my understanding and knowledge increase. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and his support for me and the many things he does to help me. He has always helped me with the housework (when he had time) and with the children. I remember my parents telling me a few years after we were married that they both were very surprised but also very pleased with how much he helped me especially with the children. With three children in less than three years, I really needed that help. He has set such a good example for his sons and they all have followed in his footsteps in that way. I'm also very thankful for the children the Lord blessed us with and for their sweethearts and children. I know that they each one were very valiant in the pre-existence.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
This is the Valentine Gift my Sweetheart gave to me for this Valentine's Day. Altho' I have received live cut flowers from some of my children this is the first time in the 45 years that I have known him that he has given them to me. I had told him a couple of months ago that I really would like some live flowers while I was still alive instead of receiving them after I died. he said that they would just die and I said that I'd like to think that he tho't I was worth it anyway. So he surprised me this year. There are three red roses, five red carnations and 13 pink carnations as well as the red heart and green leaves and little white flowers. Needless to say I was THRILLED!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Update
We talked to GrandmaR tonight and now she is saying that she feels so much stronger today that she feels like she can get along fine where she is on her own. It does still worry us. We will go down next week and see just how she is doing. Things could change really fast or could go along OK for quite a while. We will just wait and see.
My Sweet Mother-in-law
The Sunday after Thanksgiving Mom went with Gene and Dot to visit their daughter Holly in her home. She has a sunken living room. For sometime now Mom has held on to someone as she walks. Gene said this time she went ahead of him and Dot as they were greeted at the door by the grandchildren (6, I think, maybe just 5) and the dog. Anyway, she didn’t know about the two steps leading down to the living room and didn’t see them either. She fell. She learned a day later that she broke her fibula and chipped her tibia. In other words she broke her leg just above the ankle. She hobbled around on it at Gene’s until Tuesday and then he took her up to Stan and Kathy’s in Roy. There everything is on one level. (Gene’s house is split level.) Stan took her to the doctor (Gene had taken her to the family emergency center but Stan took her to an orthopedist.) He told her he wanted in a wheelchair or on the bed. No weight on her leg at all until he saw her again in four weeks. He also gave her a black boot to wear to stabilize her leg/ankle. That would be after Christmas. Stan & Kathy changed their schedule around (mostly Kathy) so they could have her there and take care of her. We stopped and saw her on the 27th of December. She looked pretty good. Of course she just sat there. I knew that her muscles would atrophy; it doesn’t take very long for that to start in. After four weeks she was able to be up on it and use a walker. She said it was good to be able to be up and around. However, she still wasn’t able to be very active. After another four weeks she went to the doctor again and he told her he wanted her to have a couple of weeks of physical therapy three times a week. That she did. She got to take her black boot off that day. Kathy took her to Wal-Mart (on her request) and she told me that she asked her a number of times if she needed a wheel chair. Mom kept saying, “No, I’ll be all right just using the cart.” Well, she all but collapsed. (This had happened a number of times when she went to Wal-Mart or Fred Myers or some other big store when she was with Paul in Pocatello. I had suspected that her heart might be doing funny things when she exerted.) Anyway, someone called 911 and the paramedics came. Besides checking her over, they did an EKG and it showed that she was having PVC’s (I suspect maybe even short bursts of V-tach—that’s three or four PVC’s together). Since PVC’s don’t profuse blood, it is just has if her heart quite beating during those times. I wasn’t surprised to learn this. They offered to transport her to the hospital and have her checked out but she refused. The next day, Stan’s son Jim who is an EMT came by with a friend who is a paramedic and took and EKG again and her rhythm was normal. So it just happens when she exerts or does more than she is used to. She says she has lived a good life and she doesn’t want to run a lot of tests and spend a lot of money when they probably wouldn’t be able to do that much for her anyway.
She came home Friday, February 9th. We have all been concerned about her going home. She complained of being so lonely and not even speaking out loud until Karl called her in the evening to talk. My tho’t was that she would be super lonely now because she has had children, grand-children and great-grandchildren around her since the end of November. And Kathy has taken care of her needs. She had to do no cooking or cleaning or laundry or anything for 2 ½ months. And she would have been getting weaker too since she wasn’t able to do much. We expected her to call us around 5:00 or 6:00 that evening. By 9:30 we still hadn’t heard from her so we called her. She could only talk to us for about five minutes. She sounded so exhausted. She said she was exhausted too. She said they had gotten to Grace about 4:00pm and stopped at the bank and post office. Stan spent the night there and Paul & ElDene had just left. She said she would call us tomorrow. She said that Stan would stay until she found out that she could shower OK without difficulty. Stan & Kathy had a shower chair that she used down there. Altho’ she does have a bar on the wall to help her in and out, she doesn’t have a shower chair (It isn’t hard to get one.) And she wondered how she would navigate the shower. She called us about 8:00 Saturday night. She said Stan stayed until about 5:00 pm. We had talked to Paul earlier and he had told us what her plans were. But we let her tell us anyway. Evidently she and Stan & Kathy had talked about what her options were while she was still down there. She told us she was going to sell the rest of the farm and the house and move down to Clinton, about two miles from Stan, into an extended living center. Stan had a copy of the floor plan and knew about how big it would be. There she could have an apartment to herself with a washer and dryer, a kitchenette and a bedroom and living room. There she would be able to be independent if she wished and felt like it and could have others close by who could look in on her and keep track of her. There would be meals provided if she didn’t feel like cooking. And it’s about $500 a month less than the one in Soda Springs would be. Down in Clinton, there would be her sons, Stan, Gene (who lives in Sandy), and Kent (who lives in SLC) close by and her daughter, Jewel too. She also has a number of grandchildren who live in that area also. All of Stan’s children and most of Gene’s and Jewel’s live in the area too. We could stop by when we go down to see Michael and Kim and their families and my mother as well. And it wouldn’t be too far for Paul to drive down occasionally either. We were much relieved to hear her plans. I am so thankful that she realizes how frail she is and how far from help she would be if she should fall or have some other trouble. When I asked Paul how she looked, he said that she had aged at least five years in those 2 ½ months. I think she will be able to be happy there. Many of her friends have either died or gone elsewhere to live close to their children so she wouldn’t be actually leaving anything behind except the house and its responsibilities. She will be close to the Ogden temple and most if not all those extended care facilities have transportation to take people where they need to go. Like I said we are very relieved that she came to this decision. Before when we’ve tried to talk to her about what she might do she has always said, “I don’t want to talk about that right now.” I’m glad that she has at least been thinking about it.
She came home Friday, February 9th. We have all been concerned about her going home. She complained of being so lonely and not even speaking out loud until Karl called her in the evening to talk. My tho’t was that she would be super lonely now because she has had children, grand-children and great-grandchildren around her since the end of November. And Kathy has taken care of her needs. She had to do no cooking or cleaning or laundry or anything for 2 ½ months. And she would have been getting weaker too since she wasn’t able to do much. We expected her to call us around 5:00 or 6:00 that evening. By 9:30 we still hadn’t heard from her so we called her. She could only talk to us for about five minutes. She sounded so exhausted. She said she was exhausted too. She said they had gotten to Grace about 4:00pm and stopped at the bank and post office. Stan spent the night there and Paul & ElDene had just left. She said she would call us tomorrow. She said that Stan would stay until she found out that she could shower OK without difficulty. Stan & Kathy had a shower chair that she used down there. Altho’ she does have a bar on the wall to help her in and out, she doesn’t have a shower chair (It isn’t hard to get one.) And she wondered how she would navigate the shower. She called us about 8:00 Saturday night. She said Stan stayed until about 5:00 pm. We had talked to Paul earlier and he had told us what her plans were. But we let her tell us anyway. Evidently she and Stan & Kathy had talked about what her options were while she was still down there. She told us she was going to sell the rest of the farm and the house and move down to Clinton, about two miles from Stan, into an extended living center. Stan had a copy of the floor plan and knew about how big it would be. There she could have an apartment to herself with a washer and dryer, a kitchenette and a bedroom and living room. There she would be able to be independent if she wished and felt like it and could have others close by who could look in on her and keep track of her. There would be meals provided if she didn’t feel like cooking. And it’s about $500 a month less than the one in Soda Springs would be. Down in Clinton, there would be her sons, Stan, Gene (who lives in Sandy), and Kent (who lives in SLC) close by and her daughter, Jewel too. She also has a number of grandchildren who live in that area also. All of Stan’s children and most of Gene’s and Jewel’s live in the area too. We could stop by when we go down to see Michael and Kim and their families and my mother as well. And it wouldn’t be too far for Paul to drive down occasionally either. We were much relieved to hear her plans. I am so thankful that she realizes how frail she is and how far from help she would be if she should fall or have some other trouble. When I asked Paul how she looked, he said that she had aged at least five years in those 2 ½ months. I think she will be able to be happy there. Many of her friends have either died or gone elsewhere to live close to their children so she wouldn’t be actually leaving anything behind except the house and its responsibilities. She will be close to the Ogden temple and most if not all those extended care facilities have transportation to take people where they need to go. Like I said we are very relieved that she came to this decision. Before when we’ve tried to talk to her about what she might do she has always said, “I don’t want to talk about that right now.” I’m glad that she has at least been thinking about it.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
2007 Already!
Here it is two weeks into the new year and I haven't posted anything yet this year. We had a wonderful Christmas. We went down to Karen & Kent's after sacrament meeting. Since our meetings started at 1:00pm that is all we stayed for. Shani & Jon here in IF and my mother in American Fork, UT only had sacrament meeting scheduled that day but Karen & Kent and we had all meetings scheduled. I decided that the stake presidents must have had an option. Anyway we got down there between 3:00 and 3:30. We had some of their left over primerib. It was delicious. We just visited for awhile. Kent's parents were there as well as Shani & Jon and Wes, Brittany's finacé. We didn't know about that until we got down there. They had been officially engaged since Friday morning. We suspected he would be giving her a ring but didn't know exactly when. We fixed the creme burlée French toast and put it out in the car and then made the clam chowder for supper. We left it simmering while we had our Christmas Eve program. It was very nice. We sang C is for the Christ Child with Wes playing his guitar and me on the piano. Shani, Brittany, Kylie, Wes and I all took turns on the piano as we sang the Christmas carols. When I think that I used to play all of them it wears me out. I'm glad they are willing to take a turn also. Karen and her three daughters sang Mary's Lullaby from the Children's Song Book and I accompanied them. Shani & Kylie sang alto and Karen and Brittany sang saprano. We practiced a couple of times with Kylie doing the descant which was just beautiful but she didn't feel comfortable enough to try it with everyone sitting there looking at her so she just did the alto all the way thro'. It was so beautiful. All of them have such nice voices. Jon gave the tho't. I asked him a head of time. (Two years ago we just put his name on the program to give the opening prayer and didn't ask him ahead of time so to get even with us he said it in Portugese.) I told him I was giving him a heads up on it so he could do it in English. He said he would. It would be boring but he would do it that way. Karl sang O Holy Night with me accompamying him. I had practiced it a few times but he hadn't gone thro' it since last Chirstmas Eve. I asked him if he wanted to go thro' it but he said no. So....he stubled a few times and had to stop a couple of times and see where he was because he forgot the words and went to the wrong verse in one spot. It was casual so I guess it didn't make that much difference but he has such a beautiful voice and I didn't want anything to detract from it. Oh well. He also did Star of the East. I had asked Kylie last year if she would sing the duet with him at the last last year but she didn't feel comfortable enough to do that. This year she has had two summers of voice lessons and now sings in the a cappella choir she said she would try it. I went thro' it with her a couple of times. They didn't do it together however until the program. Their voices sound soooo nice together. She even did the whole second verse with him all the way thro' after coming in on the duet on the first verse. We of course did He Sent His Son and Let There Be Peace On Earth accompained by me. I think they both fit in so well at Christmas time. After the program we exchanged gifts from each other because Shani, Jon and Macie were going back to IF afterwards to have their own Christmas morning just the three of them. Then they were going to go Chuggs for the rest of the day. Kylie showed Macie how to open her first present. How to tear the paper etc. She really enjoyed that. She went after all the gifts she could see. She didn't care what was inside; she just enjoyed tearing the paper off. Everyone really liked the calendars we gave them with the family pictures on each month taken at the family reunion and at other visits. I wish I had put December 2006 on it too then I could have put the picture of Chris holding Jason entitled "Our oldest and youngest grandsons". I was thrilled with the way they turned out. That was the hardest secret I kept. I couldn't tell anyone close to me because I wanted it to be a surprise. Afterwards, we ate our clam chowder and Shani & Jon left to come back to IF. Karen was coming down with a gigantic cold and informed us that Santa was coming early and no one could go into the living room again until the next morning. She went to bed early. Karl and Kent went to bed too. Kylie and I watch the first half of Polar Express before gave up and went to bed. Chirstmas morning we all slept in until 7:00--the first time ever. Brittany's phone alarm went off at 6:30 or so and woke us all up. She denied setting it. When she looked at it, she had put "Christmas" on it when she programed it in October when she first got it. She didn't realize that it would go off that day or that early. Wes stayed over night with us. We all got many lovely things and enjoyed opening our gifts. Karen, Kent and girls gave me two beautiful sweaters that fit me. The two I've been wearing they gave me three years ago and were way too big. I got a sweat suit, a skirt and a pair of pants as well as stockings from Karl. Of course I knew about them. The only thing I didn't know about was a package of batteries that he got me. Since my computer requires batteries and the digital camera does too, I've really gone thro' them since last June. About noon he and Brittany left to meet his ex-wife in Utah to get his three children and bring them back to Idaho for the week. He grew up in Moreland there west of Blackfoot and his parents still live there. They got back to the house about 8:30 pm with Alex, she's almost nine, Shay, seven, Skylar, 5, and Wyatt, 3. They are cute kids. They opened gifts there and played a game there then went out to see their Grandma & Grandpa Carlson, Wes's folks. We went to bed fairly early that night too. We played a couple of games that afternoon. What's Christmas if you don't play games? We left Tuesday morning to come back home. They were getting ready to go up to Island Park, (Karen, Kent & Kylie as well as Shani, Jon & Macie and Brittany, Wes and his children.) We came home and washed our clothes and repacked and left for Utah the next morning. We stopped in Roy and Stan & Kathy's place to see Mom and see how she was doing. She had fallen Thanksgiving time and broken her leg and couldn't put any weight on it at all so needed to stay with someone. We are so thankful that Stan & Kathy could and would take care of her. She looked good and said she's been feeling good. She has since been to the doctor and she can now put slight weight on it and use a walker. She will be there until the end of this month at least. We got to Kim & Kimberly's about 5:15 or so. It was good to see them and the children. They have clam chowder for Christmas Eve also so we had their left over chowder for supper. It was also very good. (Of course he used my recipe with his modifications.) Thursday, we went over to American Fork and got Mama and brought her back over so she could see the children and play games with us. I wish that we had known Kim had Rook cards and we could have played Mormon Bridge. She would have enjoyed it much more than the Book of Mormon Battles game that we played. We gave that to the children as our gift to them. Nathaniel just loves it. I found it very gratifying to watch him play it. Grace and Alex enjoyed it too. Friday we spent the day at Michael & Tanya's. We mostly just visited but did get a game of Pinochol in with Karl & Michael against Natasha & me. It was fun. We also watched a movie that they got for Christmas. Now You See Him & Now You Don't. It's by Walt Disney starring Kurt Russell. We all enjoyed that. We ate both lunch and supper with them. We were thinking of coming home Saturday but I wanted to stay until Monday. I fell in Kim's bathtub Saturday morning and really bruised my back side. I couldn't have sat long enough to come home that day. It was bad enough Monday. I squirmed alot. Saturday morning we went over to visit Roy & Cindy and take them their Christmas presents that I had made them. We had a very nice visit with them. They had to leave tho'. Joy & Tom had gone down from Soda Springs and they were all meeting Bonnie & David at the Church History museum in Salt Lake City. Mama didn't tell me that she was invited too. We were going to visit with her after they left but....So we only saw her on Thursday afternoon. We did see her tho'. Cindy did invite us to join them but we would have to take our own car. The rest of them were going in Roy's SUV. I guess that was something.....Kim had said something about Roy being the favorite child. I denied it saying that he was the one that was there to help her and do things for her and so forth. But I had to agree somewhat when I tho't about it later. (My tho't was, "small wonder that I got the impression that Mama and Daddy loved my siblings more than they loved me because that type of thing happened all the time while I was growing up.) If we had only known, we could have stopped in Friday or maybe even planned on Sunday afternoon, since church started at 9:00 am. Oh well....We went to church with Kim & Kimberly and enjoyed the meetings very much. I am very impressed with their bishop. He talked about the temperature of the ward and how to improve it. He did very well. It was a combined meeting. I wondered what Bishop John talked about up here but haven't inquired. We played games with Grace and Alex while Kim, Kimberly and Nathaniel went to the youth fireside with President Hinckley at 6:00-7:30 that evening. We later watched it on KBYU. I'm glad I saw it. You could really feel the love that he has for the youth, for all of us. Sister Susan W. Tanner, general president of the Young Women and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland also spoke. We then finished watching Ice Age 2. We went to bed and the New Year came in anyway. We woke up about 4:30 or so to use the bathroom and couldn't go back to sleep so after 6:00 am we got up and got ready to leave. I left them a note on their table and we just left. As we were getting in the car, out came Kim in his bare feet. He said he didn't have time to put shoes on. We talked to him for a few minutes. We ran into hardly any traffic all the way home. Mama wanted to know why we didn't stop. I told her we tho't 7:30am was a little early to drop in unannounced. We stopped in McCammon for gas and a pit stop and then headed home. We got home before 12:30 pm. It was good traveling. Much better than it would have been on Saturday. We were glad to be home. It had been more than a week really since we had really been home. We were happy to visit our children. We would have liked to have been able to visit Bryan & Sandy and Richard & Téa too but...We are so blessed with our children and grandchildren and the lives they are living. We love them all very much and our lives are so enriched by them.
Friday, December 22, 2006
The Musings of a Mother
I can't believe it. Richard turns 30 today! He was born about 8:00 pm on a Wednesday night. I had toxemia for the second time and wasn't dilating even with the PIT going. (Oh that is wicked stuff!) His heart rate started going down and my kidneys had quit functioning (I could tell because they insert a catheter to monitor my urine after administering the magnesium sulfate which they gave to prevent seizures.) My B/P was also going up higher. So they decided to take him C-Section. Since I had had toxemia with Kim eight years before, the doctor explained that I would probably have it with the next one too and that we needed to think about a tubal ligation to prevent anymore pregnancies. I had had a stroke when Kim was almost three weeks old secondary to the toxemia that I had had while carrying him. Hence the eight years between Kim and Richard. My sweetheart had told me that he'd rather have me to help raise the four we had than to have five to raise alone. But I had always felt that our family wasn't complete. I remember Kim saying he felt the same way and he remembered setting the table for seven instead of six and we weren't expecting company. As soon as I held Richard in my arms I felt that our family was complete. I would be very surprised when I get on the other side if I found out that I was to have had more. I just know that I had agreed to have these five children. My first three were so close (Bryan lacked seven weeks of being three, Michael was only 20 months old when Karen was born [he would have been 21 months in three days].) Then Kim came along 2 1/2 years later. So Bryan was 13, Michael 12, Karen 10 and Kim 8 when Richard was born. We all enjoyed him so much. Bryan and Richard were very close until Bryan left on his mission. He went to BYU for nine months before then too. It was neat to watch Bryan and his little brother and how they interacted. I remember Michael saying to me before Richard was born, "I suppose we are going to have to change his diapers too." I explained that it was entirely up to him whether or not he changed the baby's diapers but he must remember that that was when one played with the baby and got to know him and he know you was when you changed him. I don't remember Michael ever changing Richard when he was little. But I do remember Bryan doing it often. Thus they were very close. Michael and Richard didn't get close until Richard graduated from high school. They are still very close. However, with Richard living in Phoenix it is hard for him to be close to any of his siblings at this time. =) The year Richard was born Bryan was on split sessions because of the building of the new Bonneville high school. RS was on Wednesday morning then. I would leave Richard home with Bryan and be home by 11:30 so Bryan could catch the bus at noon for school. This one day, it was spring and fairly warm so Richard would have been five months old or so, I had gone to RS and came back and the back door was open but no Bryan. Richard was in his crib lying there cooing and perfectly happy. I went down stairs and still no Bryan. I was really puzzled. Then the phone rang. It was Bryan. He said that Richard had been asleep so he was outside on the driveway shooting baskets and his math teacher drove up and wanted to know if he wanted to go early to practice for the upcoming math meet that was on Friday. He said, "I didn't even think about Richard. I just tossed the basketball down stairs and left." He apologized. I could tell he felt really bad. I told him that Richard was okay and I determined that it had been only about ten minutes or so until I had arrived home since he had left. It was an adjustment for all of us to get used to a little baby again. But he brought so much joy into our lives that it wasn't hard to adjust. By the time he was in fourth grade he was the only child at home. So I got to know him a little better in some ways. I had a special relationship with each of my children but I had more time with just Richard. I didn't have much one on one time with each of the others (which I wish I had realized how important it was to make that one on one time with each one of them.) I was so close to Richard while he was the only one home that when he was a sopohmore in high school I would think about his only having two years left at home and then it would just be my sweetheart and me there. It actually frightened me as well as saddened me. But with his being active in debate and going on over night trips to debate tournaments etc. his junior and senior year he weaned himself away gradually and I was okay once he graduated. After Karl became a custodian and was gone every Friday afternoon, during his sophomore year those Fridays were our special time together. We would order in Pizza or go to Wendy's to eat supper and watch something special on TV or play games. I really enjoyed those times with him. During his last two years I was just home alone on Friday nights. But that did help me to get used to not having him around (when he moved out to live with Michael & Tanya for a while) after he graduated from high school. Some people have asked if Richard were an "after thought" since there were so many years between him and Kim. I'd say, "No, the first one and last one were planned." I remember making him a t-shirt with "My Friend" stamped on it advertizing The Children's Friend. I think that was when it went from The Children's Friend to just The Friend. I remember someone asking him who his friend was and he replied, "My mom". That made me feel so good. I enjoyed making many shirts for him. I remember feeling like we were on the same "wave lenght" often. One Christmas, I think his junior year, after opening our gifts and Karl going back to rest (he had doubled back the afternoon before after getting off work about 7:30 am he had to be back by 4:00 pm). Richard and I were playing the game Mastermind. He had just put his colors in his slots and and the phone rang. He went to answer it. It was one of his friends (Chad I think) and while he talked I tried to guess which colors he had put in. When he came back he accused me of peeking. I hadn't but it was the first time on those colors and I had them all right and in the right order! I later found out that I couldn't be a successful Mr. X when he was playing because I couldn't "hide" from him. He knew how I tho't! Needless to say I am very thankful that he was born and is a member of our forever family. I love him very much as well as his wife and children. My life wouldn't be as rich as it is without them in it. (Needless to say that I feel the same way about all of my children and their sweethearts and their children.)
Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Rest of our Trip
Now to finish telling about our trip to Phoenix and our visit with Richard, Téa and children. On Saturday I played Mouse Trap with the children. Since there were only four game pieces to move, Duncan used one of his little Star Wars characters. When Cheanna saw that she, had to use one too, so we actually had one left over. It is like shoots and ladders in that there are some squares that can make you start over and start over and start over. They both can last forever! We all played shoots and ladders the day before. In the Mouse Trap game you build a mouse trap as you move along the board. It is an ingenious game. The “funnest” part was building the trap. It has stop signs, a rubber band, a bath tub, a diver, two steel balls and a chrank…. It would be really neat if it worked after it was assembled. As you move around the board you eventually get to the cheese wheel. There you have to keep going around and around until you are caught. The last one caught wins the game. In this cheese wheel there is a square that says, “turn the crank”. That is the only time that the crank can be turned. Emma was really upset when she had to move to a “safe” spot. It took me a little bit to realize that she wanted to be the first one caught. We finally all got under the trap and turned the wheel (like I said, it could go on forever and lunch was ready) and turned the crank. It didn’t work. The shoe couldn’t kick hard enough to do what it was supposed to do and the ramps weren’t lined up right so we helped it along. It was fun while it lasted. I enjoyed playing the games with the children. Duncan at first didn’t want to play Friday with the shoots and ladders game but I’d like to think that he wanted to play because I was playing. If it were just his sisters, I don’t think he would have succumbed. It was really more fun when all of us were playing. That night Richard and Téa took us to an ice cream parlor where every day they make all of their ice cream (31 flavors, I think,…many of them anyway) and treated us to a dish ice cream of our choice. I had the mint (green mint) with a Heath bar chopped up in it. I only had a child’s portion and it was plenty for me. Karl also had the child’s portion of Pecan Praline. Each of us had a different one. Then we left to go see the temple lights in Mesa. As I said before, we had to use two vans. It’s a good thing Richard and Téa had their cell phones. As we were merrily traveling along, Richard called and said that Ephraim was really upset and he couldn’t get him to stop crying. He’d drunk his milk in his sippy cup and would pull over and see if he could get him settled down. So we pulled off the freeway and started circling down town waiting for the verdict. Richard called back after about five minutes or so and said that Ephraim just wouldn’t settle down. So we bagged our trip and headed home. We were glad we hadn’t gotten any further than we did. They gave Ephraim some children’s Tylenol and some symethicone drops in case he has gas bothering him. His cry was like he was in pain. He soon went to sleep beside Richard on the couch. Shortly after we arrived home, their friends the Roberts called and said they had found some Christmas lights that Téa wanted to get for the outside trees. They had been at Sears and they were on special, buy one get one free so they got some for them. They said to come on over. So we visited with them for and hour and a half or two. They are Kurt, Adriene, David who is 9, Samantha, who is 6 and Alison who is 4. They and Richard and Téa’s children are best friends. After they left, Richard and Téa got their Christmas stuff out and started to set it up. Many of their lights didn’t work and after messing around with them for quite a while Richard just left and went to Wal-Mart to get some more lights. The tree remained bare all thro’ Sunday. But that’s OK. Sunday was plenty busy as it was. Their meetings don’t start until 1:30 which is even later than ours! I had time to get my shower and get all ready and curl my hair and Cheanna’s hair, and Emma’s hair and Elena’s hair. They all looked so pretty with their hair all curled. They seemed to feel pretty too. Cheanna especially seemed to feel beautiful. She acted like she felt beautiful. We enjoyed church with them. Sacrament meeting was a couple who apparently hasn’t lived in the ward that long spoke to us. Sunday School and Relief Society were also interesting. I didn’t realize that Daniel was the only book in the Old Testament that wasn’t written in Hebrew until Brother Stucki told us. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had relatives up here. Stucki is a very local name. The sister who gave the lesson in RS was also very good. She had been on a mission and had such a sweet spirit about her. We went home had delicious leftovers from Thanksgiving for dinner. Then we went to Mesa to see the Christmas lights. Ephraim was OK that night. The Temple grounds were just beautiful all lit up with many different colored lights. Even lights in the palm trees. They had the Nativity scene and the scene with the shepherds and the sheep a quarter of a block away or so. In another part of the grounds they had Isaiah, the prophet and had a recording telling of his prophecies of the Saviors birth. A little ways further they had a figure of Mary on a donkey and Joseph leading her as they traveled to Bethlehem. Almost all of the trees were lit with lights, the trunks as well as the branches. I hadn’t seen trees decorated that way before. We also visited the Visitors Center and went thro’ the room that had Nativity scenes from all over the world. There was some very beautiful ones. We went to the presentation where two sister missionaries spoke of our Savior, Jesus Christ and His mission on earth and His love for each of us. One sister, Sister Millburn, said she was from Centerville, UT. I wondered if she knew Sharon & Ralph Cutler, my cousin and her husband, and their children. When I asked her she got so excited. “They’re in my ward!” she said. She told us that she knew all of them. The other sister, Sister Hayes was from Kuna, ID over by Boise. It was neat speaking with each of them afterwards. We then went to a film of the Savior’s birth. The people in the film were speaking Hebrew. As we went in a sister sitting on the same row as Cheanna, Ephraim and I were asked what part of Idaho we were from. When I told her, she said her parents lived in Rigby. These are indications that it really is a small world after all. I’m so thankful that Richard and Téa took us there. It was a wonderful experience.
On Monday we knew that Roberts were coming over that night for supper and to play games. So we pitched in and helped clean up. Richard and Karl worked outside and cleaned up the patio and cleaned out the black widow spiders so Ephraim could play out there again. I helped by helping to pick up the family room and washing the French door windows and putting the sticky plastic of the Nativity scene on it. Cheanna helped me too. It was fun working together. I had to admire Téa the way she has her children organized in helping her clean. It was her job to supervise and advise as Cheanna, Emma and Elena did the vacuuming. And supervising Duncan in cleaning up his bedroom. It was a full time job just doing the supervison. She has one upright vacuum and two small canister vacuums. Cheanna used the upright and Emma and Elena used the two small ones to go around the edges, the walls and couches etc. It was very effective that way. Téa worked on the living room while Cheanna and I did the French door and Nativity scene there. Earlier in the day Téa helped the children put together a cardboard version of the Nativity scene while Richard put their large Nativity set on top of the piano. It is a perfect place for it and looks perfect there. They even have a star for it. I told them they’d have to move the piano bench somewhere else so Ephraim wasn’t tempted to climb up on the piano. I think he would attempt to climb anything anywhere. And he’s fearless. Then we got the food ready. That took a while too. The Roberts got there between 7:00 and 7:30 PM. We ate then played The Great Dalmuti (the six adults) while the children had fun playing together. It was a lot of fun. We all enjoyed it. It was 11:00 by the time the Roberts left. After which I pulled out the Reader’s Digest Christmas Book that Richard requested that we bring. We spent about 30 minutes or so singing songs from there. Duncan, Cheanna, Karl and Richard sang while I played. I was able to sit there that long. The longest yet for many years. We all enjoyed it. We found Bonatali that Richard remembered from his childhood. We did it two or three times. It was a song that we had on a tape by Nat King Cole. After we were thro’ there Richard said that if we weren’t too tired that he wanted to show us their Karioke game that Téa’s mother had given them when they updated theirs. We enjoyed listening to each of the children sing and Richard sang a couple of songs too. He really does have a very nice voice. I think each of the children will be singers too. It was after 1:00 before we headed for bed that last night. I woke up at 5:10 the next morning and lay in until 7:00 or so When I got up and got my shower and we finished packing. I had time to fix my protein drink and drink it before we left. The Super shuttle was to pick us up at 10:25. He was right on time. We were able to tell Richard good bye before he left for work. Téa was also up and Duncan and Ephraim. Elena woke up shortly before we left. Duncan said, “I want to spend time with you and do something with you before you leave but I don’t know what to do.” I told him I didn’t either. So I asked him about his Cub Scouts. He told me about the boat regalia that they had. I found it very interesting. My boys didn’t do that particular thing. It was fun talking to him. He is working on his Bear now and seems to be doing quite well in Cub Scouts. He said he had just received his Wolf with the arrow points and beads last month. It sounded like he had quite a few arrow points. We had told Emma and Cheanna goodbye before we went to bed the night before. It took only 30 minutes to get to the airport that day. We checked our luggage at the curb which went very smoothly. Our plane was to be 15 minutes late. It actually was closer to 1:00 when we finally took off. We still got to SLC about 2:10. We were supposed to land at 2:04 so we still had plenty of time to catch our 3:00 Salt Lake Express Shuttle to IF. While we were waiting for our plane, we had overheard a woman from Pocatello talking on her cell phone and learned that Pockey had gotten 4” of snow the night before. I didn’t look forward to the cold. While waiting for the shuttle, I met a young woman who had been on the same plane and was riding the shuttle to Rexburg. I visited with quite a few young people both going and coming who went to BYU-Idaho. I enjoyed visiting with them. We arrived in IF at 7:00. I had called Michele and told her that we were late getting in as we were leaving Pocatello because I didn’t want Brian to have to sit there and wait. (A young woman across the isle from me graciously let me use her cell phone. It turned out she was also on the same plane and going up to BYU-I.) He was there by 7:15. I waited inside the Fairfield Inn…the wind was sooo cold. I just had my blue jacket which is good for 40 degrees but with the wind chill I’m sure it was in the teens. It has been hard this past week to even go outside but I’ve put on my cuddleduds (long underwear) and my winter coat and have gone. It was good to be home.
I’m thankful to Richard and Téa for putting us up (and putting up with us) for a week and for the good time they showed us. I so enjoyed being with them and the children. I’m thankful that my health is so improved that I can and could do the things that I did. nd going up to BYU-I.) He was there by 7:15. I waited inside the Fairfield Inn…the wind was sooo cold. I just had my blue jacket which is good for 40 degrees but with the wind chill I’m sure it was in the teens. It has been hard this past week to even go outside but I’ve put on my cudleduds (long underwear) and my winter coat and have gone. It was good to be home.
On Monday we knew that Roberts were coming over that night for supper and to play games. So we pitched in and helped clean up. Richard and Karl worked outside and cleaned up the patio and cleaned out the black widow spiders so Ephraim could play out there again. I helped by helping to pick up the family room and washing the French door windows and putting the sticky plastic of the Nativity scene on it. Cheanna helped me too. It was fun working together. I had to admire Téa the way she has her children organized in helping her clean. It was her job to supervise and advise as Cheanna, Emma and Elena did the vacuuming. And supervising Duncan in cleaning up his bedroom. It was a full time job just doing the supervison. She has one upright vacuum and two small canister vacuums. Cheanna used the upright and Emma and Elena used the two small ones to go around the edges, the walls and couches etc. It was very effective that way. Téa worked on the living room while Cheanna and I did the French door and Nativity scene there. Earlier in the day Téa helped the children put together a cardboard version of the Nativity scene while Richard put their large Nativity set on top of the piano. It is a perfect place for it and looks perfect there. They even have a star for it. I told them they’d have to move the piano bench somewhere else so Ephraim wasn’t tempted to climb up on the piano. I think he would attempt to climb anything anywhere. And he’s fearless. Then we got the food ready. That took a while too. The Roberts got there between 7:00 and 7:30 PM. We ate then played The Great Dalmuti (the six adults) while the children had fun playing together. It was a lot of fun. We all enjoyed it. It was 11:00 by the time the Roberts left. After which I pulled out the Reader’s Digest Christmas Book that Richard requested that we bring. We spent about 30 minutes or so singing songs from there. Duncan, Cheanna, Karl and Richard sang while I played. I was able to sit there that long. The longest yet for many years. We all enjoyed it. We found Bonatali that Richard remembered from his childhood. We did it two or three times. It was a song that we had on a tape by Nat King Cole. After we were thro’ there Richard said that if we weren’t too tired that he wanted to show us their Karioke game that Téa’s mother had given them when they updated theirs. We enjoyed listening to each of the children sing and Richard sang a couple of songs too. He really does have a very nice voice. I think each of the children will be singers too. It was after 1:00 before we headed for bed that last night. I woke up at 5:10 the next morning and lay in until 7:00 or so When I got up and got my shower and we finished packing. I had time to fix my protein drink and drink it before we left. The Super shuttle was to pick us up at 10:25. He was right on time. We were able to tell Richard good bye before he left for work. Téa was also up and Duncan and Ephraim. Elena woke up shortly before we left. Duncan said, “I want to spend time with you and do something with you before you leave but I don’t know what to do.” I told him I didn’t either. So I asked him about his Cub Scouts. He told me about the boat regalia that they had. I found it very interesting. My boys didn’t do that particular thing. It was fun talking to him. He is working on his Bear now and seems to be doing quite well in Cub Scouts. He said he had just received his Wolf with the arrow points and beads last month. It sounded like he had quite a few arrow points. We had told Emma and Cheanna goodbye before we went to bed the night before. It took only 30 minutes to get to the airport that day. We checked our luggage at the curb which went very smoothly. Our plane was to be 15 minutes late. It actually was closer to 1:00 when we finally took off. We still got to SLC about 2:10. We were supposed to land at 2:04 so we still had plenty of time to catch our 3:00 Salt Lake Express Shuttle to IF. While we were waiting for our plane, we had overheard a woman from Pocatello talking on her cell phone and learned that Pockey had gotten 4” of snow the night before. I didn’t look forward to the cold. While waiting for the shuttle, I met a young woman who had been on the same plane and was riding the shuttle to Rexburg. I visited with quite a few young people both going and coming who went to BYU-Idaho. I enjoyed visiting with them. We arrived in IF at 7:00. I had called Michele and told her that we were late getting in as we were leaving Pocatello because I didn’t want Brian to have to sit there and wait. (A young woman across the isle from me graciously let me use her cell phone. It turned out she was also on the same plane and going up to BYU-I.) He was there by 7:15. I waited inside the Fairfield Inn…the wind was sooo cold. I just had my blue jacket which is good for 40 degrees but with the wind chill I’m sure it was in the teens. It has been hard this past week to even go outside but I’ve put on my cuddleduds (long underwear) and my winter coat and have gone. It was good to be home.
I’m thankful to Richard and Téa for putting us up (and putting up with us) for a week and for the good time they showed us. I so enjoyed being with them and the children. I’m thankful that my health is so improved that I can and could do the things that I did. nd going up to BYU-I.) He was there by 7:15. I waited inside the Fairfield Inn…the wind was sooo cold. I just had my blue jacket which is good for 40 degrees but with the wind chill I’m sure it was in the teens. It has been hard this past week to even go outside but I’ve put on my cudleduds (long underwear) and my winter coat and have gone. It was good to be home.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Our Phoenix Trip
We left home November 21 by 8:00 AM; our neighbor, Brian Hatch took us and our luggage over to Fairfield Inn to meet the Salt Lake Express Shuttle to ride to the SLC Airport. We were there by 12:30. We waited about an hour for the plane after getting thro' security and checking our luggage and everything. We used the kiosk this time and just typed in our ticket numbers and it printed our boarding passes and it took no time at all. It was great! My sweetheart had to go back and check my "carryon" bag because it had my shampoo, toothpaste (he put his tooth past in mine too.) and hair spray in it. Those things can no longer be in the carry on luggage. It was actually much easier for me to get around the airport and on board that way. I'll have to think about that for next time. The advantage of having the carry on luggage is you have what you need with you. Otherwise it might get sidetracked or lost as it did when we flew down to Santa Maria, CA when Chris was baptized. The plane took off on time, at around 2:50 PM. We arrived in Phoenix on time at around 4:30 PM. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the Super Shuttle to take us to Richard & Téa's. Our driver, Al was very helpful to everyone. It took us about an hour to leave the airport because he had to stop at all the other terminals and helped two different batches of people to find out where they were going. At first I resented all the time he was taking but then I decided, I'd rather have a nice, helpful guy driving me (which he really was) rather than someone who didn't care about anyone but himself. We got to Richard's and Téa's at around 6:30 PM. It was very dark by the time we got there. Richard was even home from Flagstaff (had been for about 40 minutes or so.) by the time we got there. It took almost an hour from the time we left the airport to get there because the traffic was so bad. (On the contrary it took 30 minutes to get back to the airport the next Tuesday morning.) It was so good to see everyone. We got a warm welcome and hugs from everyone. Ephraim was asleep tho' so we didn't get to greet him until later. He didn't take to me as readily as he did last April but he did to Karl. That was OK. After a couple of days he came to me tho' and let me play my games with him. He liked "mousey, mousey" better than "This little piggy...." this time. It was the other way around in April. I got him to laugh a few times and of course I enjoyed that. On Wednesday afternoon they took us to the Science Center Museum that Téa has featured on her blog a few times. It really is very interesting even for adults (they can learn things too) but especially for the children. We stayed there from 1:30 or so until it closed at 5:00 PM. I'm glad I got to see the things in person. It really was interesting. Téa made pies and I made the cranberry apple salad and Richard was doing something for the dinner the next day too, but I can't remember what. We then watched Peter Pan, the one with the people, not animated. The children really enjoyed it. Richard fell asleep after about 20 minutes. He said he enjoyed what he saw. He must have needed the rest tho'. Because we weren't quiet nor the show quiet while we were watching it. I helped Richard fix the Creme Burlée French toast for the next morning before going to bed. They are night owls around there....children and all. Most of the nights Karl and I were the first to go to bed. And it was late for us. They read to their children before they go to bed...They have different books for Duncan, and Cheanna and Emma and Elena. Karl and I read to them quite a bit too. They love books and I enjoyed reading to them. Richard handed me a book by Suzanne Collins called Gregor the Overlander that he had read to Duncan. I was able to finish it while we were there. I also read Christmas Jars by Jason Wright. They were both good. I think Nathaniel and Collin both would enjoy the Gregor books. She has three or four others about Gregor out now too but I got to only read the one. Richard was home all of the days we were there. It was really fun and enjoyable doing things with him and his family. Richard and Duncan taught Karl and me to play Magic that first night.
Téa wasn’t feeling too well Thanksgiving Day morning so took it easy. I’m thankful that I felt well enough to help Richard fix dinner. I actually stayed standing longer than I have done for a long time. With some walking around some too. We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (Cheanna, Emma and I peeled them), sweet potatoes, (Karl peeled them and cut them up), cranberry, apple and marshmallow salad, dressing, butternut squash, and a veggie plate. It was all delicious. We had pie later on that evening…pumpkin, pear and a pumpkin and cheese cake pie. They were all delicious. Richard, Téa, Duncan, Karl and I played the Great Dalmudi that evening too. It was a lot of fun.
On Friday afternoon Richard, Karl, Duncan and Emma went to the Stake Center to help take down the set for the Christmas production that the stake did the week before. Richard participated in it. Téa, Cheanna, Elena, Ephraim and I stayed home. We started to bake cookies so they could be decorated. We had done the first batch when one of Téa’s friends called and wanted to know if she could go out on a “girls’ night out” with two of her friends. She called Richard and talked with him then asked me if I would feel comfortable with the children till Richard and the others got back home. I told her that would be fine. I continued baking the cookies with Cheanna and Elena. I wondered if Ephraim would be OK but he was. I just played with him for a few minutes then we worked on the cookies again. By the time Richard and the others got home we had one batch decorated and the next batch in the oven. Duncan, Richard andEmma helped Cheanna, Elena and me to decorate the second batch. We had fun doing that. After we were thro’ and had some supper, we watched Man from Snowy River with Kirk Douglas. Richard and the children really seemed to enjoy it. Téa came home while we were watching it. She looked much better and rejuvenated. I’m glad she has Tamara and Adriene for her friends with whom she can go out and get away. Where she home teaches her children, she needs to be able to “escape” sometimes and have some “me” time. Richard is very understand with that also.
That is the first four days of our trip. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow.
Téa wasn’t feeling too well Thanksgiving Day morning so took it easy. I’m thankful that I felt well enough to help Richard fix dinner. I actually stayed standing longer than I have done for a long time. With some walking around some too. We had turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy (Cheanna, Emma and I peeled them), sweet potatoes, (Karl peeled them and cut them up), cranberry, apple and marshmallow salad, dressing, butternut squash, and a veggie plate. It was all delicious. We had pie later on that evening…pumpkin, pear and a pumpkin and cheese cake pie. They were all delicious. Richard, Téa, Duncan, Karl and I played the Great Dalmudi that evening too. It was a lot of fun.
On Friday afternoon Richard, Karl, Duncan and Emma went to the Stake Center to help take down the set for the Christmas production that the stake did the week before. Richard participated in it. Téa, Cheanna, Elena, Ephraim and I stayed home. We started to bake cookies so they could be decorated. We had done the first batch when one of Téa’s friends called and wanted to know if she could go out on a “girls’ night out” with two of her friends. She called Richard and talked with him then asked me if I would feel comfortable with the children till Richard and the others got back home. I told her that would be fine. I continued baking the cookies with Cheanna and Elena. I wondered if Ephraim would be OK but he was. I just played with him for a few minutes then we worked on the cookies again. By the time Richard and the others got home we had one batch decorated and the next batch in the oven. Duncan, Richard andEmma helped Cheanna, Elena and me to decorate the second batch. We had fun doing that. After we were thro’ and had some supper, we watched Man from Snowy River with Kirk Douglas. Richard and the children really seemed to enjoy it. Téa came home while we were watching it. She looked much better and rejuvenated. I’m glad she has Tamara and Adriene for her friends with whom she can go out and get away. Where she home teaches her children, she needs to be able to “escape” sometimes and have some “me” time. Richard is very understand with that also.
That is the first four days of our trip. I’ll finish the rest tomorrow.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Gift From the Sea
Ward Relief Society meet to discuss some of the books we have read. Last Thursday we discussed Gift of the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. She is the wife of Charles A. Lindbergh. It is a commentary on the feelings of women. She explained in the forward that at first she tho’t she was the only one who felt this way but in discussing it with other women, she found that many, maybe even most, women feel this way. I’m a little better than half way thro’ it right now. So far my favorite chapter is called Moon Shell. She talks of walking along the beach and finding sea shells and she compares the different chambers in them to her life or our lives. She explained in the Moon Shell chapter how giving a woman is. She gives to her husband, her children, her friends and how she needs to be to be alone sometimes to replenish herself. She didn’t mention how when having toddlers it is difficult to even go to the bathroom alone not to mention having some “space” to her self but she gave the same idea in a different way. She mentioned how much easier it is to give of oneself when one has been replenished by reading, writing, or meditating, being alone for even a short time, and how difficult it is to continue to give when one can’t do those things. I really identify with her and her feelings. All of us there could. They mentioned those feelings there but I couldn’t really identify with them at that time because I hadn’t read it yet. As I read it, I tho’t, “Wow! She really explained the way I remember feeling.” Now that my sweet husband has retired and we now spend a lot of time together, he can’t seem to understand why I like to go to my nail appointment or haircut appointment by myself or somewhere else I may need or want to go without him. He calls it our “independent time”. Only he does it with disdain almost, not really understanding. Maybe I’ll encourage him to read that chapter because Anne explains it so much better than I ever could. The chapter I’m reading now is about marriage and togetherness and the love that evolves or matures in a marriage after the “romantic” love has gone. It is very good also. She has much insight. This book was published in 1955 when a woman was still an extension of her husband more or less and not really an individual as we have come to look upon ourselves now days. I wasn’t really anyone but Karl’s wife and my children’s mother until I got my nursing degree. Now I’m not saying that a woman must have a career in order to be an individual instead of and extension of someone else. That is just what it took for me. I was so shy as a child (still am sometimes in certain circumstances) and had such an inferiority complex that it took doing something like that….getting my nursing degree with having four small children and a husband to take care of too….to really find myself and be able to say, “I can do that….” I am really glad I am reading this book. I will finish it today.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Historical Day
Today we attended our first Regional conference via satellite. It was even on the KIDK news last night. It stated that 66 stakes would meet with the Regional conference, each in its own Stake Center. Today, however Elder Anderson stated that 76 stakes were meeting in Southeast Idaho. Later President Faust mentioned the 76 stakes in Southeast Idaho and Western Wyoming. So my guess is 66 stakes in SE Idaho and 10 stakes from Western Wyoming. I don't think I am off more than a stake or two each way. It was a delightful conference. Elder Neil L. Anderson is one of the seven Presidents of the Seventy and is over the Stakes in SE Idaho and Western Wyoming too I guess. He spoke, then Sister Bonnie D. Parken spoke, then Elder Dallen H. Oaks spoke. Then President James E. Faust spoke. We adjourned at 11:40 so it was a little shorter than most conferences but still very good. Each of the speakers told of their tie to Idaho. Elder Anderson was reared in the Cubbuck area and graduated from Highland High School in Pocatello. Sister Parkins grandparents lived in Coltman in our stake and helped settle that area. I guess her mother grew up there. I couldn't help but wonder if she were a cousin once or twice reoved to Susan Butikofer (Sister Parkin's mother's maiden name) who went to nursing school with me. She said her mother would always break into song And Here We Have Idaho winning her way to fame.... as they crossed the boarder of Idaho and Utah on their way to visit their grandparents. Elder Oaks stated that he grew up in the Twin Falls area until 1940 when his father died and his mother moved back to Utah to be near her family. He said that his mother always broke into song And Here We Have Idaho as they were traveling up here also to visit family. President Faust stated that he felt left out because he had never lived in Idaho. But had come up to Island Park to visit and Uncle and Aunt who had a home there. But he had eaten many many lovely Idaho potatoes. Elder Anderson told of his experiences in Brazil as an area authority down there and of one time when he met with one of the mission presidents there in Brazil how excited this mission president was because they were getting five new missionaries that week and three of them were from Idaho. He said that Idaho young men and young women have a reputation of knowing how to work and work hard. Elder Oaks stated he liked to claim his Idaho routes especailly when the work ethic of the Idaho missionaries was discussed. He was more light hearted and we saw him smile more than I ever have seen him before. He had some very good counsel but he was so relaxed and at ease as he gave it. He stated that there were four short things that a man should tell his wife every day: 1. I love you. 2. I'm sorry. 3. Yes, Dear and 4. We can't afford it. Both he and Elder Anderson as well as Pres. Faust spoke on unnecessary debt and to be watchful and don't go there. He said it isn't right to pay for February's food with July's paycheck. Pres. Faust said that the brethren have always stated that we shouldn't go into debt for anything but a home or education and maybe a car. "And," he said, "I haven't heard any of the prophets say anything different." Elder Oakes also stated that more and more young men and young women are arriving at the MTC with tatttoos. He said,
"Leave the tattoos alone!" Sister Parkin talked about her time with her husband as mission presidents in England. She stated what she always told the missionaries at General Conference time and then later challenged us to do the same four things: 1. Listen to or read intently the messages of the brethren and sisters who speak to us. 2. With the help of the Holy Ghost pick out an area that you can improve upon that was spoken of. 3. Live that principal for the next six months. and 4. Report how living that principal has changed our lives.
They all bore their testimonies of the Divinity of the Savior and His love for us. It was such a good conference and left me with such a good feeling. We were sitting on the front row on the west side of the chapel. We got there about 9:20 to get a good seat in the chapel. As President Batt, our stake president, came down off the stand he came over and shook hands with each of us. He looked at my sweetheart and asked how we were doing. Karl said, "I'm doing OK and she's doing better all the time." Then President Batt asked if we had tho't of going on one of those stay at home missions at the Family History Center. Karl said, "Or the Temple Visitor's Center?" And President Batt replied, No the Family History Center." Karl said, "I don't know how to do that." And President Batt said, "They will teach you and you can work on your own ancestors when there isn't someone else there to be helping." My heart sang! I have been thinking and praying that maybe we could do something like that and would the Lord please let us know if we could serve and where He would want us to serve." I, after I collected my tho'ts caught up to President Batt and told him that what he said was an answer to my prayers. And he said, "The tho'ts just came to me and to ask you." I am even more sure that that was an answer to my prayers. So now I am praying when the Lord wants us to speak to the bishop and turn in our papers etc. I had been praying that we could do it around tithing settlement time. That isn't really that far away. Probably less than a month. I'm being released from being the building scheduler next week and so neither will have any callings other than as visiting and home teachers. And with a home mission, altho' I don't know for sure, we could still continue doing those things. My heart is singing right now and I am happy!
"Leave the tattoos alone!" Sister Parkin talked about her time with her husband as mission presidents in England. She stated what she always told the missionaries at General Conference time and then later challenged us to do the same four things: 1. Listen to or read intently the messages of the brethren and sisters who speak to us. 2. With the help of the Holy Ghost pick out an area that you can improve upon that was spoken of. 3. Live that principal for the next six months. and 4. Report how living that principal has changed our lives.
They all bore their testimonies of the Divinity of the Savior and His love for us. It was such a good conference and left me with such a good feeling. We were sitting on the front row on the west side of the chapel. We got there about 9:20 to get a good seat in the chapel. As President Batt, our stake president, came down off the stand he came over and shook hands with each of us. He looked at my sweetheart and asked how we were doing. Karl said, "I'm doing OK and she's doing better all the time." Then President Batt asked if we had tho't of going on one of those stay at home missions at the Family History Center. Karl said, "Or the Temple Visitor's Center?" And President Batt replied, No the Family History Center." Karl said, "I don't know how to do that." And President Batt said, "They will teach you and you can work on your own ancestors when there isn't someone else there to be helping." My heart sang! I have been thinking and praying that maybe we could do something like that and would the Lord please let us know if we could serve and where He would want us to serve." I, after I collected my tho'ts caught up to President Batt and told him that what he said was an answer to my prayers. And he said, "The tho'ts just came to me and to ask you." I am even more sure that that was an answer to my prayers. So now I am praying when the Lord wants us to speak to the bishop and turn in our papers etc. I had been praying that we could do it around tithing settlement time. That isn't really that far away. Probably less than a month. I'm being released from being the building scheduler next week and so neither will have any callings other than as visiting and home teachers. And with a home mission, altho' I don't know for sure, we could still continue doing those things. My heart is singing right now and I am happy!
Saturday, November 11, 2006
A Correction
I just checked again on the IGI and Rebecca Ellis sealing to her parents has been done in 1995 in the IFalls Temple. But the other two were not listed, so we will take care of them. I'm trying to get a hold of Lois Anderson, Karl's cousin who lives in Springfield to see if she wants me to send her the card for the sealing of her mother to her parents or if she wants us to do it. I've been trying for a week now and she hasn't returned my call. I will try again right now.
What Else I've Been Up to Doing
Over the past month I have discovered the Family History Center. Let me tell what led to this. In 1999 Bryan & Sandy lived in Albequrque and while they lived there Sandy's ward calling was working in the Family History Center. They sent our daughter Karen some pink and blue cards for people that needed their temple work done. Some of them it turned out were duplicates of ones my sister Mildred had sent to me and that my husband and I did. Anyway, Karen set them aside and a couple of years ago gave them to me. At that time I went thro' them and went onto the IGI and found out that all the work had been done except for the work for Johanes Rufener, my 3rd or 4th great grandfather on my father's side. It had been cleared. I set them aside and didn't think any more about it until about a month ago. Since my health has improved greatly, I have been thinking that I need to go to the family history center and get some work done there and see what needs to be done. My sweetheart has been tutoring first graders and helping them read. He has done it other years but didn't last year because he was never called. They had been calling him every year since he first volunteered. Well, he saw Mrs. Sherry Marineau at the DI one day last summer (she was volunteering there) and she asked why he hadn't come back to Tiebreaker Elementary School to help her with her students. He explained that he waited for the call and since it hadn't come he found other things to do. They exchanged phone numbers and she said she would call him if she needed him. She called when school had been in session for only two or three weeks. He has been going every Monday and Wednesday morning for approx. an hour each time. He is working with three first grade boys right now. Deigo, Julio and Nathan. Deigo is a delight. Julio and Nathan have to be reminded to keep on track. So it can be challenging and sometimes stressful for him. But he enjoys it on the most part. Anyway, four weeks ago as I just before I fell sound asleep (I am more susceptable with the Spirit when I'm in what I call the "twight zone") the tho't came to me that I could go to the FHC after he left for Tiebreaker. The reason I have to wait for him to leave is: he parks his car behind mine in the driveway. I cannot drive his '79 Buick because it has a bench seat and is very difficult to move and my legs aren't long enough to reach the pedals. It is very difficult for me to even back it out of the driveway. This way it would already be moved and I wouldn't have to ask him to move it. So I went the next morning after Karl left. That day I relearned how to get on the IGI on my home computer. (It had been so long since I had done it that I forgot that it could be accessed at home.) So that week I spent time going back and forth between the IGI and my own PAF and getting more names and data. I soon found out that Johanes Rufener's work was still only CEARED. That it had never been done. I remember thinking, "I wonder why it hasn't been done yet. It has been years since it was cleared. The next morning when I was in the "twightlight zone" the Spirit whispered to me, "The reason why Johanes Rufener's work has only been cleared on not done is because you are holding the card." Wow! That woke me up. I had written cleared on the card in each of the squares and also his wife's name, Anna. I wondered if we could still use the card with it written on. I asked one of the officiators at the temple the next time we were there and he said yes, to bring it in and they have both blue and pink "whiteout" that they can use or they could just issue a new card. I told him the situation about my experience and he said, "Sister, he is probably the one who has been prompting you to get his work done." To which I replied, "I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find that was the case."
Anyway, I have gone to the FHC each week except for the weekend we went to Utah to see our chidren and grandchildren and my mother. (Incidently, that was a most enjoyable experience. I am sooo glad we went.) I have gone thro' by PAF and "cleaned" it up, took out abbreviations to states and approximated birth dates or marriage dates where it was needed. It turns out that if you have a birthdate and no marriage date but a spouses name, you can add 21 years to the birthdate and put abt before it. For the birth date if you have a marriage date you can subtract 21 years and put abt before it. I spent my spare time for four nights doing that. The next time I went to the FHC I was able to put my PAF with both my side and my husband's side of the family (I may eventually put them in separate files when I get to working more on them.)thro' temple ready. I found 119 individuals who need ordinances done. With Johanes Rufener that is 120 individuals. Some of them need baptisms, confirmation, initiatory and endowments, others need sealing to spouses and still others need only sealed to parents. I found a 4th great grandmother on my mother's side that hasn't been sealed to her parents. All other work and her siblings were sealed but she wasn't. I also found that my mother-in-law's grandfather wasn't sealed to his parents altho' his other work had been done and his siblings had been done and all the work had been done vicariously. Also a sister of my father-in-law was not sealed to her parents. That was a unique situation where their father was a member of the RLDS church and his work wasn't done until after his death. None of his chidren were baptized until after his death. My father-in-law was 22 years old when he was baptized. Anyway, Aunt Fern was already married at that time and she wasn't active in the church at that time. I checked on the IGI for those things and they weren't there.
Anyway, Karen is YMMIA president in her ward and she asked if they could do the baptisms on the 29th of this month. Then Karl and I and others, my mother and brother have volunteered to help with the work too as well as Karen and Kent and Shani and Jon. All of our children live close to a temple so they could all help with it. I have found this very exciting and rewarding. I think I have caught the bug and will go to the FHC often. I'll have to start on research from now on. I am back in the 1700's and some of them the 1600's even on the Wendel side. The people there at the FHC have told me that the church only lets us go back to the 1600's for right now. That is good enough.
Anyway, I have gone to the FHC each week except for the weekend we went to Utah to see our chidren and grandchildren and my mother. (Incidently, that was a most enjoyable experience. I am sooo glad we went.) I have gone thro' by PAF and "cleaned" it up, took out abbreviations to states and approximated birth dates or marriage dates where it was needed. It turns out that if you have a birthdate and no marriage date but a spouses name, you can add 21 years to the birthdate and put abt before it. For the birth date if you have a marriage date you can subtract 21 years and put abt before it. I spent my spare time for four nights doing that. The next time I went to the FHC I was able to put my PAF with both my side and my husband's side of the family (I may eventually put them in separate files when I get to working more on them.)thro' temple ready. I found 119 individuals who need ordinances done. With Johanes Rufener that is 120 individuals. Some of them need baptisms, confirmation, initiatory and endowments, others need sealing to spouses and still others need only sealed to parents. I found a 4th great grandmother on my mother's side that hasn't been sealed to her parents. All other work and her siblings were sealed but she wasn't. I also found that my mother-in-law's grandfather wasn't sealed to his parents altho' his other work had been done and his siblings had been done and all the work had been done vicariously. Also a sister of my father-in-law was not sealed to her parents. That was a unique situation where their father was a member of the RLDS church and his work wasn't done until after his death. None of his chidren were baptized until after his death. My father-in-law was 22 years old when he was baptized. Anyway, Aunt Fern was already married at that time and she wasn't active in the church at that time. I checked on the IGI for those things and they weren't there.
Anyway, Karen is YMMIA president in her ward and she asked if they could do the baptisms on the 29th of this month. Then Karl and I and others, my mother and brother have volunteered to help with the work too as well as Karen and Kent and Shani and Jon. All of our children live close to a temple so they could all help with it. I have found this very exciting and rewarding. I think I have caught the bug and will go to the FHC often. I'll have to start on research from now on. I am back in the 1700's and some of them the 1600's even on the Wendel side. The people there at the FHC have told me that the church only lets us go back to the 1600's for right now. That is good enough.
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