Fun hikes! We bought a pass to the top of the tram at Jackson hole resort and then hiked around the top before we had to report to volunteer! It was a fun morning together! It was more than a 4 mile hike. I am grateful little Stephen's leg is healed so he can go this fall!
Chandler and Haley came with us, and Liesl joined us midway through the trip. I love having our family together! We missed Jed and Annie on this trip. This is the next day up in Yellowstone park when we hiked along the river! We saw two bears in the woods and decided we had gone far enough!
These two little ones - Sophia and Stephen are so lucky to have the loving care of so many! Liesl is fun to have around when we can get her. Right now she lives and works in Salt Lake so when we get her, it is a special treat!
Sara is a silly poser! She and Brinley are constantly taking photos and posting on their social media pages. Sara likes to do this little pose with her hand under her chin. She is a beautiful 14 this year! xoxoxo
In the past few weeks, the evil arrows of the adversary have been flinging about our heads in rapid fashion! I received two emails. One from RR the Stake YW President over me. Another just days ago from KP. Oh the battles of life. Both tell me that I have problems. The first says I seriously need to find a counselor to share my life's woes with. The second, a repeat message of the past 4 years says we, Brad and I, need to repent and forsake our sins and return to the P mess!
It has not been easy. As I click away this morning, I am not to tears, but that has not been the case in the mist of receiving these. It was just a few short weeks back, I had been personally confronted by RR at the church, but chose to pick myself up and carry on. Then her email put me over the top. I forwarded it to Pres Jensen whom I had recently visited about YW's and he hoped to help instigate change. That has not happened as the YW party has not been willing to meet to discuss the future and expectations at all! At length, when I received her email, I wrote immediately to Presidents over YW and the stake and asked to simply be released. That has not happened yet, but I believe it is in the works. I know that she resents that I am asking such a request. She loved being the President, but refused to stay unless I would stay. I just don't feel it is right for me to continue to be beat up on so many fronts.Moving on, I want to write to recognize the hand of my Heavenly Father in my life! Within the hour of finding the recent message from KP, I received a kind text from Paula, just thinking of me, and sending love. I am so grateful! The next morning, Aunt Suzy and Uncle Ted showed up at our house. Thanks Heavenly team for sending angels in word and deed to lift me up! I recognize and appreciate your hand in my life!
Even this morning, as I click, I was awakened by little Sophia coughing. I found some cough syrup for her, and tucked her in under the special soft blanket from Grandma Orla. It is always a special hug, and I love that my littles often come to my room, hoping to be tucked into that hug from heaven! Thank you Heavenly team!
In the meantime, B and I decided that we felt since our Priesthood leaders know of the unkindness of V&K that we wondered if their Priesthood knows what they are doing. I forwarded the email from KP to her Bishop, asking for his prayers, direction, and input. He called later that day. I appreciated his visit! I find tender mercy in many details.....1st that his wife experienced similar unkindness from her parents some 10-15 years back. 2nd that in his ward, they have spent the last three weeks in their family relations class talking about emotional abuse and how rampant it is. 3rd - as I shared the frustration of V&K coming to the temple to the most sacred of places and wondering ourselves if we could even go, or if we had to miss the wedding of our own son because they would barge in. His son was to be married the next day! He said he would not beable to sit in that room without feeling the uneasiness I felt when this kind of unkindness was forcing their way in. He promised to talk to them, and to pray about his advice and get back to me.
His initial advice was given to he and his wife, when they experienced similar pain - "Don't let this own you!" which is similar to my own President Jensen's advice "You can't reason with crazy, don't try!" I am grateful for Priesthood authority on the earth to help us through. I am grateful for Priesthood power to force the evil out. I am grateful for Priesthood blessings from my dear Brad! I am grateful for the covenants of the temple, and the blessings promised there!
I don't know what the future holds with regards to that, but I try every step to follow the promptings and listen carefully! I am so blessed! Laus Deo!
This funny day, we had gone for a hike, but ended up being short on time. We found ourselves stopped for a quick hike, at sand cove. The kids found these loose chickens in the bushes. They couldn't help but chase them and catch them! Now what? They insisted they would be eaten by wild animals so... what kind of mom am I, they brought them home. It was the next morning that I woke up to them sounding off - they were roosters! We took them to the farm that very day! My neighbors would not be happy to have two more noisy roosters in the neighborhood! Funny memories of these two in the backseat holding those chickens, worried about getting pooped on all the way home!