Aren't they SO beautiful!!! Oh I love love love this team!!!!I need to record miracles. Oh, they are SO abundant in my life!
Samuel has struggled this year! In the spring he was struggling with decisions of life and told Brad and I that he wasn't sure he would serve a mission. He said he didn't have a testimony of prayer, and he just wanted to find his own path. We prayed, trusted, fasted, you know! All those things! In May we determined that we needed to celebrate his own path and allow him to find that path. After counseling with him, he said with regard to his future that he was just "drifting from day to day" didn't have a plan, just drifting. We told him that we needed him to have a plan. He continued week after week to just be "drifting." We could see that and were worried!
During the spring, he had been dating a cute girl named Liz. She had called me after they broke up and told me that Sam had been hanging out with guys that were vaping. She told me that when they would go to these parties, she would say, "Sam you have to take me out of here." She didn't want to be there, but she warned that Sam had been hanging with those kinds of guys, and she wanted me to know. Great! She was a cute girl, and I was sad they broke up. Sam said they were "getting too close" and so he told her they needed to cool off. How could I argue with that? I couldn't I wanted him to be wise! She was heartbroken, and immediately went on a date with another guy, and is married already. Anyway, I share that here, because I was worried about his friends!
Brad and I decided that we were going to celebrate him! We felt if he were leaving on a mission we would have a party, a celebration, and that he needed to know that we were celebrating him anyway! He was not quite done with his DXATC Engineering certificate, but his friends were graduating from high school, and he wanted to make his own choices, and not have to live by our rules. We could see that wasn't good for the younger people in our home still who we needed to live by rules, and if we let Sam break the rules then why couldn't they.
Including attending church, home by a certain time (midnight on weekends and 10 or 11 on weekdays), mission prep for those old enough. Scripture study together as a family. All those rules of our family. We outlined them carefully months before because we were being pushed by our teens, and he was choosing to not live by them.He did graduate with 4 years in Seminary, something we were Very grateful for! He is a good kid! Just a kid, trying to test his wings, grow his hair, and try his own decisions!
So in May, as a celebration, we rented a cabin at Sundance - up north and decided to take the family for a vacation to celebrate Samuel. Just before this weekend away, Brad decided it would be cool to hire fly fishing guides to teach the team how to fly fish. Samuel had some of his own gear and wanted to learn so Brad decided that would be a good thing. So, I proceeded to try to find guides (because when we asked who wanted to learn - everyone - even the girls (daughters-in-law too) wanted to learn) and when I got into guides, they would only take a couple of people each with each guide. So we ended up needing 4-5 guides! Finally, at a rather expensive price, I found enough guides to take our team (not Sophia, or Stephen or I but everyone else) fly fishing for a Saturday the weekend of Memorial weekend.
They had a great time! We had a great weekend. Highlights for me included photos of our family in the green surroundings. (I will add some here, haha I love this team! I can't get enough of these beautiful photos!!!). The littles and I hiked the Timpanogos trail while the others fly fished. We made it beyond the snow level - and into the slide areas and determined it was too dangerous so we didn't summit, but we sure had a fun day!
I am grateful during that time, that I knew where he was. I could see his truck out there by the river in the morning on my runs. Sometimes while running he would pass me on his way to work and wave. I knew where to find him, but he didn't stop in at home hardly at all for weeks. On Sundays, I would iron a white shirt for him. At first, I took the time to go down to his trailer and hang it on the mirror or door handle (wrapped in a clean white plastic trash bag to protect it from the powdery dust that was SO abundant down there!!). Often I would say good morning and hear him mumble something from inside the trailer. Often there was someone else's truck there. Not usually the same one, no one ever really moved in with him, but other guys would camp out there with him occasionally. I prayed, put his name on the prayer roll every week, and kept ironing shirts! After a while, I would just text him and tell him his shirt was here at the house for him when he was ready for it. A couple of times he didn't ever stop in to get it. The few times that he did come get it, he would wait until we were gone for church (which is not until after 1:00 this year) and so I was often discouraged that I didn't think he was going to church at all.
Time passed. He was working for an excavation company. They were paying him $16/hour and he thought it was the best job ever! He had previously been working for Kevin Hansen of our stake doing remodel construction, but the excavation company offered him more money and his friends told him they loved working with the big equipment so he was drawn there! We had a hot summer this year! He was out there every day in the hot sun. They put him on a fire hose. His job was to keep the water on the dirt so the equipment could move the dirt and not have complaints! Every day he had to be to work by 6:30 in the morning and worked until 4:30 in the hot sun. The summer passed.
The kids talked to Samuel more than he would talk to us. He had left on good terms, I hugged him and told him I loved him every time I saw him, but that was not often.
We heard about his adventures living in the trailer. It was super hot!!! He didn't have any electricity! No air conditioning! No lights. One night he bought 6 mouse traps. He set the traps and went to bed. Before very long, he started hearing those traps spring! 1,2,3,4,5 and yes all 6 went off before he could fall asleep. He had caught mice in all of them. On the floor, in his cupboard, above his head on the shelf above his bed. All of them in less than an hour! yuck!
Summer passed. Sometime about mid-July he was talking to Brad and said that he had gotten tired of his music, and tried to find something else to listen to. He turned on the Book of Mormon. He told Brad he was near the end of the book of Alma. Yay! Then he told Brad not to tell, but that he had decided to put his papers into serve a mission! Yay! Brad told me not to know, but we were both so excited, we couldn't keep that secret from each other! Then one day, he called and said he needed my help. His papers were done except for the medical and dental. He needed my help to get appts so he could get those parts done. Yay! During all this time, his hero older brothers Jed and Chandler kept tabs on him. They checked in on him, and I am so grateful! They knew that I could not, but they did. They reported often that he was doing as good as could be, working, hot, living! Ok. I was grateful for a network of love wrapped around him. I was grateful to know where I could find him, and we still paid for his phone so he would respond or answer most of the requests when we texted.
Sometime towards the end of July, I was at swimming lessons at Ann Hansen's one day and she mentioned that one of her neighbors was looking for a young man to possibly rent a part of her house. She had recently been divorced, and was alone in the house, but wanted to see if there was anyone who could help her make her house payment and share the house. She was scared of her ex-husband and hoped to find a young man that could protect her if necessary. I texted Sam with her number and didn't really think much of it. Sam had been trying to rent a house, but they had to do credit and background checks on all the boys asking to rent, and one problem after another with those kept him from being able to rent this house. So this opportunity came, he called the lady and went to meet her. I understand she works at the hospital, like 4 days on and then a couple off, so their paths hardly crossed, but before long, Sam moved from his trailer to her house. It was completely furnished, he just took his clothes and was grateful to have air conditioning and a shower! I can't imagine!
Mid August sometime, Sam had his appointments with the medical, and then dental. He kept working on those papers, and I tried not to ask, but I was seeing him a little more. Then the Bishop asked if I knew how he was doing. I knew he was helping him with his papers. I tried to ask carefully if they were turned in. He asked me what I knew, not much. It was always careful asking because Samuel wanted to keep it to himself. I was just so grateful it was happening!
Then September 5th the Church announced that they were changing how mission calls would be extended. They would be emailed instead of mailed! Oh no! I had always believed that the white envelope would come in the mail and I would know it was here. Now that was not going to be the case! We knew missionaries who had just prior received their call, they must have been in the last batch that were mailed in the US Post. Then that changed! Now I wasn't going to know because of a white envelope showing up! Sometime mid-September I learned that his papers had been turned in. President Jensen had pushed the button on them and submitted them. I found Samuel and cornered him about it! He grinned his darling grin and walked away when I tried to say, you have to tell us! I didn't know if he was going to even tell us!
On September 17th Brad had to fly to Boston for the Babson 10K Small Business Program. I drove him to the airport early for the 6:30 flight out, he had to be there like 6 to board right. Anyway, on the way back, I knew I was passing Sam's job site. I felt I should stop and give him a hug that early Monday morning. I hadn't seen him a few days, and just felt I should stop there. I got off the freeway and went over where I thought I might find him. I parked our nice car on the asphalt and walked down towards where the guys were standing around a truck. I could see several guys, and believed one of them was Sam. He saw me and started walking towards me, skeptically. He came to me and asked why I was there, I told him I had just been to the airport and hoped to find him to give him a hug. He awkwardly hugged me, and... he wreaked of smoke! I gave him my hug and turned to leave. I was so scared! Was he smoking? Was this all too good to be true? I was scared! I got on the freeway, and called Brad, shaking upset! Brad told me to send him a text and confront the problem asking if he was smoking. I pulled over and sent a text, worried and scared. I asked about the smoke smell and begged him to please not be doing that!!! Oh, I was scared! Was he addicted to that filth? Not my boy! Please no!!!
It was several hours before I heard back from him. He said No Mom. I promise I am not! We exchanged texts, my expressing my concern, and he in few words, promising that he wasn't doing that! I wanted to believe him, but I admit I was worried! His changes had seemed so quickly, I was scared that he was doing this mission thing for us, but he wasn't really ready or prepared.
Then on September 25th, in the morning I got this photo texted to me. I was so excited! I called him, and told him we wanted to have a celebration! He couldn't open it without us! He reluctantly agreed that we could have a party that evening to open it! We originally said 7:00 but Jed (who is in Idaho attending law school) and Liesl (who lives in Draper, Utah and is in her ward Relief Society Presidency) both had other commitments and couldn't video in until 8 so we moved it to 8:00. I posted on facebook that any of our neighbors were invited, and we prepared!!! What a fun day! That night Sam showed up early, excited. He asked if I would iron a white shirt for him - gladly!!!! Then the people started showing up. We were shocked that we had SO many come to support him! Of course the ward loves him! I was so touched! We had full house! I will attached the few videos and photos. Oh tears. The outpouring of support and love from our ward family. The tender people who had prayed for Sam and cared about him! His priesthood leader, Matt Anderson. His priest quorum. The people just came! The house was full! I was so touched! Sam was so jubiliant! He queed up that webpage that said something about this should be a special, sacred occasion, and asked them if they were ready to open it. He showed it to me, saying Mom, see I really didn't open it! He explained he had gotten to this point, and pushed the wait button, to wait until he was really ready to open it. Now he was ready to open it, and I kissed his cute cheeks! Oh I love that boy!
He is called to serve in the Panama City, Panama mission. reporting on January 2nd, 2019. What a summer of tender mercies! My Samuel is amazing! He stands 6'5" tall. He wears a 17 1/2" shirt and he gives me hugs often! I am so grateful for the miracles that saved him! I am grateful for the blessings of the Priesthood that have helped him see that he wants more out of life than holding a fire hose in 110 degrees everyday! I am so grateful for the abundance of life that we enjoy! Thank you Heavenly Father for loving our Son! - Yours and Mine and helping him! I am so grateful!!!! Humble!!! Touched!!!! I know the Church of Jesus Christ is true! I know it is the path to Joy and Happiness! I Know our Savior lives and knows our every need! I testify it is true!