These days are flying by! I am now six months pregnant, even though everyone says they can't even tell! I am! Hello! I am not this... size! Thank you!:)
Thursday night we met many members of my family at the SLC temple for a beautiful session! I didn't quite cry all the way through, but close! It was beautiful! It was the third time J and I had gone through together in the past 8 days - we went on Wednesday, then Saturday morning, and then Thursday night. J got one more session in there, he went with the Mission Prep class (although he was the only one who showed up!) on Wednesday morning. Because we had been through several times, I was a slight bit less emotional! I had a family name - MY FIRST! to find myself - it was a complete miracle as I have such fabulous grandmothers who have done so much genealogy! Thank you Angel Grandmothers!
I have cried through a special part in the temple ever since I had a miscarriage before J was born! Stunned and touched by promises made, I can't get through without tears! To be there with my first born! To have promises made to me and now to him of eternity! I am so grateful! I am crying! This special time, I stood in the circle with J, my Dad and my Sister Keri. Others on the session didn't choose to participate, but we loved being there together! In the Celestial room we shared eternal memories of being sealed as a family in that temple when we sealed Tye and Whitney to our family! We peaked into the sealing rooms, and Dad shared memories of working on the temple in early days of their marriage, that he worked in the Baptistery and installed the wood paneling in the reception area of the entry way! It is beautiful woodwork - of course! Best of all was... I was one of the very last in a certain part, watching J pass through! It was beautiful! I wept! I am so grateful for his fabulous example and testimony! Ok, enough tears! :)
Then Friday morning, now in SLC, we put our shoulders to the wheel, and worked hard together on a beautiful project on our home up there! We decided sometime ago that we needed to replace the deck which was rotted after some 25 years! Instead of simply replacing the handrail (which completely fell off - rotten wood!) and miscellaneous other bad boards like we have for the past several years, we ripped the entire thing off! We learned that Sandy city clean up day is coming on June 7th, and what better time to use the excuse to pile all that junk in the front our own own house like everyone else does, and have someone else haul it away! We still don't believe it will actually happen that easily - and in fact J and I still believe it would have been much easier to load it on our own trailer and haul it away - regardless - on Friday, while L and C were still at EFY for the week, J and I and Jr. Team ripped the deck off, cut it to 4' lengths, bent the nails, well, we tried to, but one still found it's way into Sara's foot! Sorry S! It was a lot of work, but so fun to work together and see the progress! I thought it would take us two days to get it cut off, but it didn't! I couldn't believe how fast! By 3:30 that afternoon we sat on the front lawn with popsicles admiring the piles of wood now in front of the house instead of on the deck! Wow!
I was exhausted that night! B arrived from St. George in the evening, just in time for J to take the new truck on a fun date with a girl from Draper. My sister W lined him up with this L.S. and J was excited! They visited on the phone for a couple of hours after the temple on Thursday, J learned she is tall - 5'10" and a member of a large family - #5 I think of 7.? Anyway, J had planned to take her to Snowbird (picking her up at 6 to allow some hours of light still), to ride the tram and the slide/hike down the mountain. However as we ate popsicles, it started to sprinkle - the beautiful mountains were socked in clouds, and so he changed plans! Instead, they went to Ogden to the Wave, an indoor surfing place. J had a great time! He is so cute! He said he was a bit late because B didn't get there until just before 6 and we had quickly unloaded the truck, but he then got stuck in construction, and... he was late. Her Dad greeted him at the door, and invited him into his "office" for a "Priesthood Interview." Funny! J just smiled, and replied that would be fine! Joking later, he comments that he has no way of knowing that this is like the 99th time this has happened as he has gone on that many first dates! I don't really know how many he has gone on - we lost count around 56, but he has dated a LOT of cute girls! He is darling, humble, but strong, and steadfast in what is right! I was looking recently at his Facebook pictures, and nearly every picture shows him with another girl! Yep! No steady girlfriend! Just lots of cute girls he has enjoyed the company with! I am so grateful!
So Saturday we got up early and started as soon as we dared pounding now to replace the deck! We spent quite a bit of time mid-day gathering supplies, wood beams from three stores since it was the holiday and major lumber companies were closed - I should have thought of that and picked them up on Friday - oops! Sorry B! It ended up that we got most of the deck framed that day. While B worked with the boys in the back, the girls and I cleaned and organized the garage! We bought new shelves, moved some shelves, had the boys help us install new hooks for all the tools we are collecting up there. We built a stand (tall 8' long saw horse) to hold all the bikes - since we have many there so we can ride the favorite Little Cottonwood Trail! It looks much better! We didn't finish the garage until after dark, I am sure our neighbors up there are grateful we aren't always there, we are noisy early and late! We got lots done!
Sunday morning we went to our favorite church services at Snowbird! My parents have helped up there in the branch for years on top of responsibilities in their own ward. The services there are only one hour long, and are completely different than in a normal LDS ward. They had 40 attend last week, and this week, being Memorial Day, they had more than 120 in attendance. Mom gave the Sunday School lesson, on relying on the Lord. She had three cute boys come forward and hold a rock at arms length for as long as they could. Realizing that with the help of the Lord, he will carry our burdens and make them light. We have to give them to Him! It wasn't long before all three boys couldn't hold their rocks out anymore, but needed help. How long I hold my rock, thinking foolishly that I can do it by myself! Silly! I rely on Him! My Rock, my Brother, my Savior, my Redeemer!
Then we went down the canyon, and joined H & D's ward (they were at Lake Powell) for the last two hours of church. After church we met Mom and Dad and G. Chris and headed to Henefer to decorate graves up there. It is a pretty valley! From there we drove over Emigration Canyon and down to the SLC cemetery to decorate and care for Farmor & Farfar's grave. It was a special afternoon, I am grateful we got to share it with G. Chris! I will forever remember seeing C holding on to Grandpa's arm, helping him through the cemetery. Both at the temple on Thursday and graveside on Sunday I felt Farmor close. I remember well her promise to take care of my babies in heaven, and to help me all she could to protect them! She is my angel, and I love you Farmor!
Sunday night we gathered at our home for dinner. I am grateful for great helpers! I am grateful for a family that honors the Sabbath day and does beautiful things together to worship our beautiful Savior together! Grateful to honor the Sabbath day together!
Monday we were back at the deck! That day, in addition to completing the framing (all but the stairs) and beginning the decking installation, we also fixed a crack in between the sprinkler valve boxes, we repaired the toilet in the half bath on the main level, we cleaned the house, and did several batches of laundry so we could leave. Then that night we had dinner at Harrs on our way home. It was a full weekend! We accomplished much! I love being together as a family!
Thursday night we met many members of my family at the SLC temple for a beautiful session! I didn't quite cry all the way through, but close! It was beautiful! It was the third time J and I had gone through together in the past 8 days - we went on Wednesday, then Saturday morning, and then Thursday night. J got one more session in there, he went with the Mission Prep class (although he was the only one who showed up!) on Wednesday morning. Because we had been through several times, I was a slight bit less emotional! I had a family name - MY FIRST! to find myself - it was a complete miracle as I have such fabulous grandmothers who have done so much genealogy! Thank you Angel Grandmothers!
I have cried through a special part in the temple ever since I had a miscarriage before J was born! Stunned and touched by promises made, I can't get through without tears! To be there with my first born! To have promises made to me and now to him of eternity! I am so grateful! I am crying! This special time, I stood in the circle with J, my Dad and my Sister Keri. Others on the session didn't choose to participate, but we loved being there together! In the Celestial room we shared eternal memories of being sealed as a family in that temple when we sealed Tye and Whitney to our family! We peaked into the sealing rooms, and Dad shared memories of working on the temple in early days of their marriage, that he worked in the Baptistery and installed the wood paneling in the reception area of the entry way! It is beautiful woodwork - of course! Best of all was... I was one of the very last in a certain part, watching J pass through! It was beautiful! I wept! I am so grateful for his fabulous example and testimony! Ok, enough tears! :)
Then Friday morning, now in SLC, we put our shoulders to the wheel, and worked hard together on a beautiful project on our home up there! We decided sometime ago that we needed to replace the deck which was rotted after some 25 years! Instead of simply replacing the handrail (which completely fell off - rotten wood!) and miscellaneous other bad boards like we have for the past several years, we ripped the entire thing off! We learned that Sandy city clean up day is coming on June 7th, and what better time to use the excuse to pile all that junk in the front our own own house like everyone else does, and have someone else haul it away! We still don't believe it will actually happen that easily - and in fact J and I still believe it would have been much easier to load it on our own trailer and haul it away - regardless - on Friday, while L and C were still at EFY for the week, J and I and Jr. Team ripped the deck off, cut it to 4' lengths, bent the nails, well, we tried to, but one still found it's way into Sara's foot! Sorry S! It was a lot of work, but so fun to work together and see the progress! I thought it would take us two days to get it cut off, but it didn't! I couldn't believe how fast! By 3:30 that afternoon we sat on the front lawn with popsicles admiring the piles of wood now in front of the house instead of on the deck! Wow!
I was exhausted that night! B arrived from St. George in the evening, just in time for J to take the new truck on a fun date with a girl from Draper. My sister W lined him up with this L.S. and J was excited! They visited on the phone for a couple of hours after the temple on Thursday, J learned she is tall - 5'10" and a member of a large family - #5 I think of 7.? Anyway, J had planned to take her to Snowbird (picking her up at 6 to allow some hours of light still), to ride the tram and the slide/hike down the mountain. However as we ate popsicles, it started to sprinkle - the beautiful mountains were socked in clouds, and so he changed plans! Instead, they went to Ogden to the Wave, an indoor surfing place. J had a great time! He is so cute! He said he was a bit late because B didn't get there until just before 6 and we had quickly unloaded the truck, but he then got stuck in construction, and... he was late. Her Dad greeted him at the door, and invited him into his "office" for a "Priesthood Interview." Funny! J just smiled, and replied that would be fine! Joking later, he comments that he has no way of knowing that this is like the 99th time this has happened as he has gone on that many first dates! I don't really know how many he has gone on - we lost count around 56, but he has dated a LOT of cute girls! He is darling, humble, but strong, and steadfast in what is right! I was looking recently at his Facebook pictures, and nearly every picture shows him with another girl! Yep! No steady girlfriend! Just lots of cute girls he has enjoyed the company with! I am so grateful!
So Saturday we got up early and started as soon as we dared pounding now to replace the deck! We spent quite a bit of time mid-day gathering supplies, wood beams from three stores since it was the holiday and major lumber companies were closed - I should have thought of that and picked them up on Friday - oops! Sorry B! It ended up that we got most of the deck framed that day. While B worked with the boys in the back, the girls and I cleaned and organized the garage! We bought new shelves, moved some shelves, had the boys help us install new hooks for all the tools we are collecting up there. We built a stand (tall 8' long saw horse) to hold all the bikes - since we have many there so we can ride the favorite Little Cottonwood Trail! It looks much better! We didn't finish the garage until after dark, I am sure our neighbors up there are grateful we aren't always there, we are noisy early and late! We got lots done!
Sunday morning we went to our favorite church services at Snowbird! My parents have helped up there in the branch for years on top of responsibilities in their own ward. The services there are only one hour long, and are completely different than in a normal LDS ward. They had 40 attend last week, and this week, being Memorial Day, they had more than 120 in attendance. Mom gave the Sunday School lesson, on relying on the Lord. She had three cute boys come forward and hold a rock at arms length for as long as they could. Realizing that with the help of the Lord, he will carry our burdens and make them light. We have to give them to Him! It wasn't long before all three boys couldn't hold their rocks out anymore, but needed help. How long I hold my rock, thinking foolishly that I can do it by myself! Silly! I rely on Him! My Rock, my Brother, my Savior, my Redeemer!
Then we went down the canyon, and joined H & D's ward (they were at Lake Powell) for the last two hours of church. After church we met Mom and Dad and G. Chris and headed to Henefer to decorate graves up there. It is a pretty valley! From there we drove over Emigration Canyon and down to the SLC cemetery to decorate and care for Farmor & Farfar's grave. It was a special afternoon, I am grateful we got to share it with G. Chris! I will forever remember seeing C holding on to Grandpa's arm, helping him through the cemetery. Both at the temple on Thursday and graveside on Sunday I felt Farmor close. I remember well her promise to take care of my babies in heaven, and to help me all she could to protect them! She is my angel, and I love you Farmor!
Sunday night we gathered at our home for dinner. I am grateful for great helpers! I am grateful for a family that honors the Sabbath day and does beautiful things together to worship our beautiful Savior together! Grateful to honor the Sabbath day together!
Monday we were back at the deck! That day, in addition to completing the framing (all but the stairs) and beginning the decking installation, we also fixed a crack in between the sprinkler valve boxes, we repaired the toilet in the half bath on the main level, we cleaned the house, and did several batches of laundry so we could leave. Then that night we had dinner at Harrs on our way home. It was a full weekend! We accomplished much! I love being together as a family!