Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Randall

In honor of our 29th wedding anniversary, I'd like to revisit one of my favorite blog posts:

(with number 11 added)

TOP TEN REASONS WHY I LOVE RANDALL

Randall with his chocolate covered Kumquats at a recent family dinner.

11.  I love Randall because he's a creative cook!

 10. I love Randall for his enthusiasm about things he cares about---making cookies with the girl he just met at the ward dance, new babies and children (especially his own), a new KitchenAid or juicer for his wife, art and creating things, playing soccer, refereeing soccer, REAL SL Soccer,----etc.

9. Because he’s cute and good looking and makes me tingle!

8. Because he doesn’t worry too much about what others think . . . he knows his strengths (and he’s hip and cool!)

7. He’s smart, he loves to read and learn, remembers almost everything important, can figure out solutions to puzzles and problems that stymie other people.

6. He works hard and values a job well done.

5. He’s loyal and honest with family, friends, country, customers, and all he comes in contact with.

4. He is faithful to me and to his family. He provides for our needs and often goes without himself. He shares!

3. He is faithful to the Lord and he honors his Priesthood.

2. He serves his God and his fellow men.

1. Number one reason I love Randall—he is a true example of charity; he is always kind and longsuffering . . . he accepts people for who they are and finds the good in everyone.

Happy Anniversary, Randall!  I love you!!

Melancholy

August and September have traditionally been pretty melancholy months for me.  July is usually cram packed full of holidays and reunions and visits with family, and then comes August and the realization that school will soon be starting and summer will be over.  When I was in school, and  my kids were in school, it was an exciting time too, with shopping and preparing for a new school year.  The busyness and the excitement of a new school year usually help to offset the melancholy.   This year DD4, my baby, my youngest, will be a Senior in High School, and we really don't have much shopping to do this year.  This is  an exciting and a happy time, but also a sad and melancholy time too.  A 23 year long era of having kids in public school is about to end.  My kids are almost all grown up!  To add to the sadness, DD2 will be soon leaving for grad school, and our house will be one daughter emptier.  Sending kids off to school always makes me sad.  Happy too, but  a lot of sad.

This morning I woke at 6 am, before the alarm, and could not go back to sleep, so of course I got up to find something to do.  I was a bit surprised that it was still so dark at 6 am already.  We haven’t had any early morning commitments this summer, and what with so many of the family working evening/night time schedules, and being the natural night owls that we are, I’ve fallen into the habit of sleeping in later this summer.  Earlier this summer  when I was often up at 6, it was obviously morning time!  Even this Monday when DD4 needed to be ready to leave for camp at 7 am I didn’t notice the darkness.  Such sadness that our hemisphere is getting darker already! 

Yes, we have missed DD4 this week, but trust that she is surviving a week surrounded by multitudes of young ladies and leaders  at  Camp.  Hopefully she has had some fun times with some fun girls.  I had high hopes of being very proactive and accomplishing much stuff this week while she was gone (ie, writing, weeding, cleaning), but actually haven’t been very motivated.  DD2 and I have done a bit of mattress shopping, as she needs to know what she likes and wants for a new bed before she’s faced with actually buying a bed on her own once she get to grad school.   But mostly after coming home from a hectic day at work, I have been just reading a bit more than usual, and have spent more time perusing some of my favorite blogs than I normally do, so it’s been a rather restful week actually.  Maybe I’ll get my act together and do better at the chores and cleaning and weeding etc. next week.

This has actually been a monumental year in that we did not have even one child moving this past spring!  The first time in almost ten years!  It was heavenly!  But now this month we have two daughters moving.    DD3 will need to move home for a week or two, then back to her new apartment, which means that she will need to commute almost an hour to work each day for a while.  And we will need to store her things here, all while DD2 is getting packed up to leave for Grad School. 

So, how do you and your family deal with new school year changes?

Shopping Success

So, for the past several weeks I have occasionally been dragging DD4 out on the search for new jeans. Now DD4 is a bit different than many young ladies in that she greatly dislikes shopping of most kinds, especially clothes shopping. Normally we both avoid  shopping for clothes for her untill it is absolutely necessary, but it has gotten to the point where she literally has had no jeans, slacks, shorts, or pants of any kind (except for pajamas) without major rips and holes. For the first few weeks of summer it wasn't such a big deal, but she has two major events coming up where she will be away from home for days at a time, in public, amongst friends and strangers rather than enjoying her summer quietly at home with family.

So, every week or few days lately we've gone out in search of jeans that will be acceptable in size, style, color, fit, and comfort for DD4. The search has been rather futile. The budget is tight, the requirements are high, and patience and tempers are short. The jeans that meet the size, style, color and comfort requirements do not fit the budget. The jeans that meet the budget requirements do not fit the requirements of size, style, color and comfort. Last week we finally purchased one pair of jeans at the thrift store that was merely acceptable. However, for a several day stay away from home and laundry facilities, one pair is not sufficient.

Last night we had another shopping trip that ended in short tempers, frayed nerves, almost tears, and no new jeans. The time was up and the stores were all closing, so we returned home empty handed. The first trip begins tomorrow, so tonight was the last ditch effort. We returned to a store where we had shopped several weeks ago and found a style, size, color, and fit that worked. But the price had been too high. Tonight we hit the jackpot! They were on sale, clearance sale! And, we purchased three, yes three pairs of jeans for less than it we would have paid for one pair of the jeans we were looking at last night!

Hallelujah!  Hip Hip Hooray! I'm cheering loudly for all to hear (or at least read.)

Success.  :)

Family, Fireworks, Faith, and Priesthood

It's been a good weekend filled with concerts in the park and fireworks to celebrate the birthday of our city.   DD4 and I started out at the first concert on Thursday night, (the symphony, one of my favorites) on Friday night we added DD1 and DD2 and some fireworks, then on Saturday we included DH, DS1 and his friend, and DD3, along with assorted friends and inlaws, a few munchies, visiting, dancing to the music and even more awsome fireworks.   My favorite kind of weekend, in spite of traffic and late night bedtimes.

Today was also good, sitting in church, soaking up the spirit and the testimonies after watching some very awesome young men bless and pass the sacrament.  One of the young men blessed the sacrament for his very first time, and did so clearly and carefully without a stumble.  He has some disabilities, but still did an awesome job, and it was so wonderful to see beaming and so proud of his accomplishment.  We have many wonderful, faithful youth in our ward, with strong testimonies.

I also loved the great testimonies that were borne, testifying that faith can grow and flourish, as long as we continue to nurture it.  One sister compared it to her new back lawn, planted with little tiny plugs of grass seedlings, being faithfully watered three times a day, now starting to grown and spread and hopefully to grow to a new, lush lawn.  Reading, praying, and living the commandments;  that's what grows our faith and brings us true happiness.

Then With Joy Each Heart will Swell

Come ye children of the Lord, Let us sing with one accord.
Let us raise a joyful strain To our Lord who soon will reign
On this earth when it shall be Leansed from all iniquity,
When all men from sin will cease And will live in love and peace.

Oh, how joyful it will be When our Savior we shall see!
When in splendor he'll descend, Then all wickedness will end.
Oh, what songs we then will sing  To our Savior, Lord, and King!
Oh, what love will then bear sway  When our fears shall flee away!

All arrayed in spotless white, We will dwell mid truth and light.
We will sing the songs of praise; We will shout in joyous lays.
Earth shall then be cleansed from sin.  Every living thing there-in
Shall in love and beautry dwell, Then with Joy each heart will swell.

--James H Wallis

This was our intermediate congregational hymn today in Sacrament Meeting.  It was an awesome meeting with two wonderful ladies from our ward speaking on how they had prepared themselves to attend the temple for the first time to recieve their endowments.  I'm thinking that this hymn was chosen as it talks of being arrayed in spotless white, as we are in the temple, and it speaks of that wonderful peace and love that we can feel in the temple, the house of the Lord.   I love these thoughts, but I also I love these words for the of our hope and anticipation of the second coming of our Savior.    "Oh how joyful it will be When our Savior we shall see!"  Can you imagine the Joy that will swell the hearts of those who will be privileged to be here at that time?  Can you imagine the Joy that will sell our hearts when we are privileged to return home to His presense?

Heaven is Here

I just finished reading an amazing book:  Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson.  Her story, her faith, and her courage are amazing.  If you are looking for an inspirational read, look no farther. You should also check out her blog:  http://nieniedialogues.com/

Siblings

Here we are in all of our glory . . . my siblings and I.  For almost 50 years we have been family . . . (some have been around for a year or two longer than that) . . . with a 13 year spread between oldest and youngest.  There have been good times and trying times, work and play and laughter and yes, squabbles too.  At times we have been scattered from east to west, even from England to the Philippine Islands, but yesterday we were blessed to all
be together for a dear nephew's wedding.  I'm grateful for my siblings.  I love and look up to each one of them and are grateful for all they do for me and for my family. 

And here are the two that started it all almost 63 years ago:  (Along with one of the many great-grandchildren) 

Yes, I am certainly blessed to be a part of this family!