Long time--no write!

Dear Readers (if there are any more of you out there), WOW--it's been so long since I wrote. It took a letter from a friend of my sisters to remind me that I hadn't written in so long. I guess keeping my journal keeps me busy enough...and things haven't changed much here, so I don't write as often. It's pathetic that you write more when things are going badly, and when things are going better, you don't write much at all.

It is spring in Phoenix, which means that our days are getting warmer...and warmer. I am thankful that we don't have the cold winters like so many places do. I don't enjoy spring as much as I should here, because I anticipate it getting hot again, and don't just enjoy the beautiful spring days.

I am feeling well, basically, most of the time. :) That isn't the most definite of statements, is it?
 I am thankful that I have energy. I have been doing physical therapy for my bad shoulder (a slightly torn rotator cuff), and that has made it get so much better. I have almost total range of my shoulder now, and that is awesome. I am looking forward to swimming more this summer. I still work out at the cancer center, and that is still an awesome place to work out. I love the people who work out there, and I love the "trainers," who work with us.

The best news we have in our family right now is that our daughter, Katie, is expecting a baby girl! We are so excited. We have 3 adorable and fun grandsons, but we are so excited that we get a granddaughter too. :) HOORAY! Katie has gone through 2 miscarriages, and is now 16 weeks along...and we just keep hoping and praying that all will be well with this pregnancy. So far, so good!

I keep busy with doing Church work in the children's organization of our church. It is called Primary, and it is fabulous working with the different wards (units) in our stake. I love getting to know people better around the stake, and seeing the great things they do with their children. I just like being their cheerleader--because I am so impressed with all they do to teach their children the Gospel.


My children and other grandchildren are doing pretty well. Spence just went to Utah a couple of weekends ago because we have a nephew who just left on his mission to England. Spence loved being with our children, Emily and Michael, and their cute little boy, SJ, who is such a fun boy. Spence and he have quite the relationship. :) A few weeks before that, our son, Brian, came to visit for a few days. That was a lot of fun, especially for our 15-year-old son, Brady. Brady is playing basketball, and enjoying that. Kelsey is about to finish up her semester at BYU--kind of a stressful time for her,  but she's almost done with another semester. Katie and Cody graduate from Utah State at the beginning of May--a great accomplishment for both of them. WE are so proud of them. :)

Well, that's about it from here. One of the interesting events of the past few weeks was when I went to the funeral of one of my sister's friends' husbands--did you catch that relationship? I had known her friend when we were all in high school. I met up with some people who had known me in high school--as they were younger and I was older at that time, they had known me better than I had remembered them. It was just so interesting to be with them, and to hear their remembrances...and to realize that we are making an impact (either for good or bad) even when we aren't aware. It is amazing how the things we say and do can affect people in big ways. It was just pretty mind boggling to me. :) Well, I hope that I will write again sooner than two months, like this last time. Anyway, happy spring to you all!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Tomorrow would be my  mom's birthday. It has been over 5 years since she left us. It is funny how much lately I have missed my mom--or missed having a mom. For the last several years of her life, she wasn't really with us--she wasn't able to speak much or communicate, and so it has been a long time since I really had a mother to talk to. That leaves a big void in your life, and I miss that. I am thankful that I have sisters whom I can talk to, and tell things to...like I would to my mother, but still there is nothing like a loving, caring mother, who loves you no matter what. There were many things I learned from my mother (or at least that I saw she exemplified--I can't say that I necessarily learned them--but I did observe them). My mother was so accepting of people--she did not judge them, but she loved them for who they were. Everyone loved my mom--she was so sweet. She never tried to take center stage, but was a great audience for others. People who met her for the first time loved to tell her their life story--just because she was such a good listener. Even when she was in the nursing home at the end of her life, people loved her for her sweetness. She raised 5 children, and we are all very different, but she accepted those differences, and never expected us to fit some mold. That was challenging since we each made such different life choices, and yet she found good in the things that we did. I know that is something that would be extremely valuable for me to learn from her. So, on this day before she would have celebrated another birthday, I just wanted to take some time to thank her for her example and for her love. Her life was a legacy of love and kindness, and there's not much more you could want people to say about you. Thanks, Mom, for all you've taught me.

Happy New Year!

It's about time I wrote in here--the new year is already 2 weeks old, and I haven't written since before Christmas. I read this wonderful quote this morning, and thought I would like to post it. It is by Dieter F. Utchdorf, who serves as a counselor to the president of our church, whom we revere as a prophet of God. He said, "No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God! For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are...and who we will become." Isn't that an awesome quote? I thought I would share it, and hopefully it will uplift you as much as it did me. :) I believe it with all my heart, even though I don't always live it.

Today was a good Sunday. I got to go to Church, and meet with people that I don't see every week. I work in the children's organization of our Church, called the Primary, and it is truly delightful to visit with them, and hear their comments and insights. It is so refreshing to be with them. We also had a nice evening with our son. Both my husband and I told him about our first date, and how we met. He was pretty amazed that we both could remember the details of that time--I guess he sees how bad our short-term memories are; he just couldn't believe we could remember something that happened so long ago! It was fun to just have a more relaxed evening at home, just the 3 of us. I also talked with two of my daughters, and that was a nice thing too. They are both up in Utah, where it is bitter cold right now. It is cold for us down in Phoenix (relatively speaking), but nothing like what they're dealing with up there.

We also had a good experience on Friday night. Spence and I went to one of our daughter, Jodie's plays. I have posted in here before about this theater group that she belongs to, where they put on plays with handicapped adults. It is an amazing experience to go--they do unbelievably well, but there is just such a spirit and enthusiasm and pure joy on that stage that is like nothing else you could see. They put on "Oklahoma" this time, and did a great job. What made that evening even more fun was seeing some people there whom we haven't seen in forever. One was our children's 3rd grade teacher, who was phenomenal, another one was the room mother from my daughter's 1st grade class, and then there was another daughter's close high school friend. It was SO MUCH fun to see them all, and to see them after so many years. So it's been a good weekend, and a time to once again be thankful for the many good people who have touched our lives. What a blessing it is to have friends!

Merry Christmas!

Just in case I don't take more time before Christmas, this may be my Christmas greeting to the world! So, any out there still in my blog world, have a wonderful Christmas! And DON'T, whatever you do, get sick!! That is the dumbest way to spend the holidays, as well as being miserable. You can't even rest in peace, because you lie there, feeling horrible, and then worry about all the things you aren't getting done. Even listening to Christmas music doesn't help because you don't feel well enough to do that. It truly is the most "un-fun" way to spend the holidays! Needless to say, we have ALL been sick. It came upon us so fast and so strong, that it was unbelievable! It basically started Sunday morning, although our son, Brady, didn't feel very well on Saturday, but then at varying times later that day, it came upon us. It was the stomach flu, and it was pretty miserable. Even Baby SJ, who is 19 months, got it--but kids do the best with stomach sickness. They just throw up, and then they feel better, and play until they feel sick again, and then throw up again. They don't worry in the in-between times. The rest of us just lay around and moan and groan about all the pains we feel, and wait till the next wave of nausea hits. My husband, Spence, was so awesome Sunday night. He went around from room to room, just taking care of us. He was feeling pretty proud of himself that he hadn't gotten it, and that he had gotten his flu shot (unlike the rest of us), but then it caught up to him on Tuesday. This time NO ONE escaped--it was crazy!! So whether shopping all gets done, or wrapping--I guess Christmas will come whether we're ready or not! We have boxes still on our back porch of Christmas decorations that we could hang, but it's just not going to happen this year--what you see is what you get...and there is just no more time for anything else. Of course, this is a crazy time of year anyway. We have our whole regular lives--work, church work, children, other responsibilities, and then we try to add a whole other life, our CHRISTMAS life, on top of that. How do we really think we're going to make it all work? I know that in the middle of all that, we try to make it meaningful and focus on important things, but it is a constant struggle. We really do get caught up doing things that really don't matter. If Heavenly Father could do it HIS way, we would focus on His son, and not only His birth, but His life, His atoning sacrifice, His great love for us, and His desire that we love and serve one another. So, try to muddle through, and may we all focus on what truly matters in life. My love to you all--have a joyous Christmas!

So Much to Be Thankful For

It is Thanksgiving morning. About 5:30 this morning I woke up, and couldn't get back to sleep. I felt like I needed to write this morning, and count my blessings. I have been really focused inward lately, and have not counted my blessings. We had an apostle of the Lord come and teach us in September, and he told us that we needed to look outward instead of focusing inward. That thought just kept coming to me this morning, and I felt like I needed to do this before I get going on my day.It is easy to dwell on negative things, and it takes more effort to consider the positive things in your life. My mother loved Thanksgiving--and I need to take her attitude and be glad for this day where you can think of all the ways you've been blessed.

So here I go--listing my blessings. This is more for me than for anyone else who might happen to read this, because I need to be more grateful. First of all, I am thankful for my health. Two years ago I didn't even know if I could go to Thanksgiving dinner because I was feeling so poorly. I laid on the couch at my sister-in-law's house, and couldn't eat anything, but that day I was glad that I could just be with my loved ones. I have been so blessed with my health, and can do just about everything I want to--and sometimes I forget what a blessing that is. I have amazing sisters, who care so much about me. They are constantly in touch with me, and even when I don't reach out to them, they reach out to me. What a gift they are to me--each and every day of my life. I am thankful to have a wonderful husband, who also cares deeply about me--and who puts up with my ups and downs, and still loves me in spite of myself. He is very patient with me, and tries to understand me, even when I act like an emotional woman, which I am. I am thankful too that right now he is feeling pretty well--which in an ongoing challenge for him. I am thankful for the way he has always provided for our family, and also saved for our future. He is so good to our children, and they love and respect him very much. I am thankful for my children. As with every family, we have our ups and downs--we don't always get along, but there is an underlying caring that runs deep. I am thankful that my children seem to genuinely love each other, and enjoy being together and being friends. I am thankful for 3 cute little grandsons, who call me "Grandma Weez" and who make me laugh just because they're cute and active little boys. This Thanksgiving my daughter, Kelsey, is home from BYU, and she is so thoughtful and caring. What a blessing she is in my life--she cares so much about people, and tries so hard to show that. She just really touches my heart. I am thankful to live in my beautiful home. I love it, and I am so grateful that I have such a nice place to live. I am thankful I can do things like sew and quilt because those things bring me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. (plus they are lots of fun to do!!) I am thankful I have the means to make beautiful things, and the time to do it. I am thankful to work in the Church--to have the opportunity right now to work with the children's organization, the Primary. Sometimes I feel quite inadequate in that responsibility, but it gives me the chance to serve, and it makes me look outward...which I need to do. Anything that makes me get out of thinking just about ME helps me to focus outward and to be more caring towards others and their
needs. I am thankful for this time of year--fall and winter are a wonderful time here in Arizona--it's the time of year which makes up for all the super hot days of summer. I am thankful for good neighbors--I love the neighbors on our street and how they look out for each other and truly care. We are blessed to live in such a nice place. I also have many friends who truly care--who listen to me when I need a listening ear, and who care and are sensitive to my feelings. There is nothing better than true friends--and they can be in your family as well as outside of your family. I have many more blessings, and I guess I could make this a super long entry, but if you've stuck with me this long, you probably don't want to hear anymore. Like I said at the beginning, this was an exercise more for me than for anyone else--to help me remember many of the ways I'm blessed and to think more of those and less of the ways maybe my life is lacking. I need to be thankful to my Father in Heaven for all that He does for me...and to reflect on those things so much more. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!











needs.needs.

So very disappointed

This is a hard day for me--last night was a hard night. I am very sad, and have shed some tears. So many of the things I value and hold dear were espoused by Governor Mitt Romney, and I had so hoped that he could somehow miraculously win for president. It wasn't because he was Mormon that I was such an advocate, although he IS a good member of our church--holds to its ideals, believes in family, and has been dedicatd to living the prinicples of Jesus Christ. It is because he had the courage to stand up for family and the ideals our country was based on. He believes in America, and doesn't apologize for things we have done--he is proud to be an American. He believes in the inspired beginnings of our country, and the principles that are espoused in our constitution. He is willing to stand alone, and not just sway with the pressures of society to accept and advocate "alternative lifestyles," just so that he can be popular with the voice of the people. He is willing to stand as a witness of Christ at all times, and in all things and in all places. I was so touched by his concession speech--there was nothing of malice in it. I prayed sincerely in the past weeks for the American peoples' hearts to be touched with what really matters. But I know they have exercised their right to vote, and I am thankful we can do that. But I am proud to say that I was for Mitt Romney and for all he stood for. I wish we could have the opportunity to have him work for some of the ideals he advocated. I, like him, really need to pray for our leaders and hope that America can do better in the next 4 years and follow a better path. With all my heart I pray that God will truly bless America, this land that I love.

News in November

That title is a little bit misleading, since I really don't have much news in November. Tomorrow is Election Day, and I have to say I'm pretty nervous about what is going to happen...but I guess we'll survive, whoever wins...hopefully!! :) I have this wonderful friend at Church--she's one of the first people I see every Sunday, and she is a beautiful and very classy woman. She reads my blog--I don't think there are many that still do!! And she got on me yesterday for not having written for so long...and it has been OVER a month! So she was right to give me a hard time, so I'll try to come up with something to say...since she still is one of my "fans!!" Things are finally cooling down in Arizona--well, that's kind of a lie, since it's supposed to be in the low 90's this week. It has been said that we have two seasons here--hot and hotter! Probably truer than any of us would like to admit. I read an article today talking about how the temperatures are going to stay hot longer--that is not a fun prediction. I love fall here--although we don't have fall leaves or anything like that, our mornings and evenings get cooler...and that is SUCH a welcome relief! My son, Brady is into "fantasy basketball." For any of you who have known anyone who does that, it is pretty crazy...and kind of addicting. (especially if you're involved in multiple teams like he is). He gets into different things, and does them wholeheartedly until the next "passion" comes along. My daughter, Kelsey, who is up at BYU, has really been doing some fun things with her photography. She is hoping to get into the program there at school, but even if she doesn't, she is starting to take lots of pictures...and loves doing that and editing them. Her card calls it "Priceless Photography" and we thinks she does great! I think you can check her out on Facebook, but since I'm Facebook illiterate, I might not be the one to tell you that with any degree of authority!! I have been doing quite a bit of sewing and quilting. That is what I love to do--it is so fun, and so great to have something tangible that you can show that you have accomplished something.. I have been making Halloween table runners, and they are way cute. Of course, they take too much time, but I still really enjoy doing them. I am working in our Church's children's organization now, called the Primary. I love it--I love working with the children, and helping their leaders. I love the music of the Primary--nothing can touch your heart like hearing children sing those precious songs that teach them about Heavenly Father. It is a privilege to work with them, and I am thankful for this opportunity. It keeps me very busy, and is probably good becuase it helps to keep me out of trouble!! It is November, so it is the time to express thanks. We had a wonderful lesson in Church yesterday on being grateful...and it is always good to try to "count your blessings," and think of the many ways your life is blesed. Lately I've read about a couple of different people who had esophageal cancer, like I did, and have not survived. I don't think I realized what a horrible cancer it is and how blessed I was to have lived through it. I need to express thanks more often for that and for so many other things I've been blessed with. Our teacher gave us this quote, "Thank you God for blessing me much more than I deserve." I am blessed to know the power of prayer in my life, that I have a Father in Heaven, who cares about me as a person, and who will listen when I talk to Him. I am thankful that He had a son, Jesus Christ, who died for me, and who took upon Himself all my sins and weaknesses and problems because He loves me too. So, at this time of year, I'm going to try harder to express thanks more often and with more sincerity. Have a great day!