Fun Weekend

Last weekend we had a much needed retreat. Garth and I went to the mountains and just relaxed. We hurried up with our trailer as soon as we both got home after work. It was around 7:30 so we decided to just go to the marina for supper before we went to the campground. We had a nice meal in the company of Shaun and Ima Jean Tomsick and Joe and his wife with their new baby. Also Grandpa and Grandma Andersen (Mindy's parents), and Brad and Jenny were there for a few minutes. After feasting on a delicious Reeder Burger we headed to the campground where we found one of our favorite spots, #19, still open. We backed in and set up the trailer, then built a fire and just enjoyed watching the stars come out. It was a very warm night, so warm it was hard to sleep without a breeze coming in the windows. We didn't have the generator with us for the AC, so we kept the windows open. We woke up early as usual, fixed a great breakfast then headed out to see what was going on in the world. When we got to the marina Scott insisted Garth try out the wave runner. As for me, I stayed on dry land. Garth said the water was fine, but he isn't ready to buy one of his own.

After reporting where we thought we would head, we took off. Here is a picture where we went. OKay, all you Emery-ites. First one to guess where it is gets a prize. What is the prize? I don't know, but you have the pleasure of knowing you know your Emery County geography. We went to two different lakes in one day. Both lakes Dad put his fishing pole in, but he only caught fish at one of them. Can you tell where he is? In all, it was a nice weekend.
Here is Dad on the waverunner



Dad at a good fishing hole:

Happy Birthday, Nancy

Today is my daughter, Nancy's, birthday. I won't say how old she is because it makes me old. I hope she has a very happy day on her xxth birthday. She lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and my grandson. They have been through many trials the past three years but she has shown what a great mother she is by pushing through all the pain and worries and making sure Tyler has all the services he is entitled to. She is patient with him and helps him learn to walk and communicate with others. She has had to go through things that most of us never know, but she is proving up to the task. She is very thoughtful of others and volunteers to help as much as she can at a long distance away. I remember her making me laugh so hard at her off-the-cuff jokes when she was in high school. Garth and I were talking about the time she bit her tongue and needed to get stitches, then just a few days later slit her head open and needed stitches again. Do you still have a funny bump on your tongue? A reminder to "watch your tongue!" We love you and can't wait for our visit in a few weeks! This picture was taken almost three years ago when Tyler was only about a month old. Sorry about the three year old picture. I need to update my files. Happy birthday

My Grandma Olsen

My sweet little Grandma Olsen's birthday is on August 28th. She was born one hundred years ago and lived for 88 years. She was a very hard worker, working on the farm with Grandpa and raising 3 children. Like many people of her generation, she saw may hardships and trials but came through each one with the desire to do what was right. She lived by herself for 31 years after her husband died. She loved her grandchildren. I would stop at her house on my way home from school just to visit with her and she loved it. So many times I still glance at her window when I drive past her home, and can see her hand opening the curtain to see who is driving by. I was so glad I could help her a few times at the hospital and care center. I spooned tea to her lips so she could sip when that was all she would take in. I patted her hand and wiped her tears that were rolling down her cheek. I know she knew I was there, and I was so honored to be there with her. I will never be able to grow flowers like her, that is Jan's job, but I can crochet and embroider, and I can pick out the towels and edges that were hers from all the others in my cedar chest. I am so thankful for the heritage she gave me. I know she lives on and will be there to greet me.
If you are reading this, leave a memory of Grandma if you would like.

My Mom

Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. She would be 74 years old. I can't imagine my mother at that age. She will always be 45 to me. She had just turned 45 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer. She died on September 29, 1979. But in her short life she taught me so many things.
She loved her daughters and her grandchildren so much. Yes, daughters because she didn't have any sons of her own, but the two sons-in-law she also loved. She was blessed to see two granddaughters and one special grandson come into her family. I remember so well the day she put those little booties on Barrett's tiny feet. The booties that had waited 25 years to be worn by the first boy born in the family. I cried when I saw little Maxwell wearing those same booties and hat on his blessing day. It was so thoughtful of Chantel and Barrett to have them saved in a beautiful frame so we can always remember Grandma Nell's love for her children.

Mom taught me to enjoy doing handwork. She passed on her love of crocheting and embroidery work. I didn't get her housekeeping genes that Ruanne received, but I do love to create beautiful afghans and keep my hands busy. I don't think I have her patience, either, but people say I have her looks. She woke up early every morning, something I do now as well. She loved to bake Christmas cookies and Linda inherited that talent with the raisin-filled cookies. She loved to do things with her husband, my dad, and enjoyed spending time with him. I follow her example in this, even riding to the dump with my husband just to spend time with him. Mom wrote poetry for special occasions and passed that talent on to Julie. She listened to my problems and tried to give me advice, some of which I took and some I later wished I had paid more attention to.

When I got married times were very difficult for all of us. There was a gasoline shortage and inflation was very high. The money just wasn't going very far. I was finishing up my last quarter of college at Weber State and not at home in EC for wedding plans. We decided that she would make my wedding dress using a pattern for a dress that I was currently wearing as I accompanied the Men's and Women's Choir at Ogden Institute. She knew how to fit the pattern for me so I didn't need to come for fittings myself. We met in Salt Lake and picked out the fabric. The rest was up to her. Because of the hard economic times, I couldn't see spending money on a dress that I wouldn't be able to wear again afterward. I wanted a dress that could be special for my wedding day, but that I would still be able to wear later to the temple. So we decided on the dress with an overlaid apron. She did a beautiful job and my dress was very beautiful. I wore it the next year every time we went to the temple. A great rememberance of my wedding day. (Then I was pregnant and it didn't fit any more!)

I am so humbled that I was able to have her sitting beside me at the Ogden Temple when I was married to my husband. That was so special to me. It was something I had always dreamed of, and I know she enjoyed every minute of that day.

I wished I could have spent more time with Mom the last few weeks of her life. But with a new baby and a one-year-old, I was only able to visit her once in the few weeks she was in the hospital. During that visit she was very sick, had just had surgery. But she wanted so much to hold Barrett. She stroked his head and kept saying "What a beautiful boy." Her passing was such a shock to everyone, so fast and sudden. We didn't have time to prepare but how do you prepare for something like that?
I don't know if my sisters ever knew, but that same day Garth was in a farm accident.
He had come home at noon with plans to take Tammy on the farm truck with him. He was hauling corn from the field to the barn and thought he would give me a break and take her along for the ride. She happened to be asleep when he came home, so we decided to let her sleep. He went to the farm and continued hauling corn. I got a phone call a few hours later saying to come to the farm, that Garth was alright but the truck had rolled. I still thank the Lord that Tammy had been asleep. She would have been with him at that time. We didn't drive with car seats for our children back then. She could have been standing up beside him when the truck went off the road. I think the Lord was protecting us so that I wouldn't have to go through the loss of my Mom and the possible loss of my little girl and husband.

I have lived longer without my mom than I did with her in this life. But I know she lives on and still loves me, watches and protects me, strengthens me when I need strength and comforts me. Many times I feel her presence when I wonder what direction I should take. I know she lives and I will see her again.

Please leave a memory if you would like.

Happy Anniversary to Us

Thirty-one years ago today we started our life together. What a wonderful time it has been. We have had so many joyous occasions and so many trials that have brought us closer together. We have learned to lean on each other for strength and found comfort from each other. We have laughed together and cried together. We are each other's best friend.

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband. He helps me in ways I know other husbands don't do for their wife. Garth washes clothes and dishes, mows the lawn and vacumns the floor. He is the one to mop the kitchen floor and clean the bathroom. (Yes, just one bathroom in our house.) He works two jobs because he can't sit still. The old farmer in him must keep busy.

We started out our life together after a two month courtship. Just two months from our first meeting to our wedding day. I would never advise that for anyone but us. Since we had written to each other for close to two years, we knew we had very deep feelings for each other. It just seemed so natural and it still does. I can't imagine being with anyone else. He reads my thoughts and knows what I am thinking even before I do, sometimes.

I just want to publicly tell him I love him and I am so happy he choose me to share his life. He is the best father and most wonderful grandfather. Nothing humbles him more than hearing from his children and especially his grandchildren. He worries about them and loves to be with them. He is a great man who honors his priesthood and would do anything to help his children.

Thanks, dear, for making my life so wonderful! I love you!

No Time

Have I really failed to update this since August 5? Man, have I been busy. It must be close to the beginning of school. Hey, wait. It is! No wonder!

I have spent the past two months living at school. I just finished up a class for our teachers and it went very well. I work with a wonderful group of teachers. We are all best friends and enjoy going to work every day for more reasons that loving kids. We enjoy working together. We have a lot of technology available to us and some of us are more excited about learning and using new things than others, but we are all willing to learn and try. Since I enjoy learning how to do things on our computers and the Smart Boards, I took it upon myself to help train our teachers. Everyone had been asking me for help, so I helped myself and prepared a two-day training for our faculty. I was very humbled when other teachers from our district asked if they could come, but we kept it for just our faculty so I could see how it would work out. Everyone was there and it went better than I expected. Mrs. Nelson even told me I was a success because she was able to make a paper that she wanted to make, and it actually looks really good. She was so proud of herself.

And because it is the beginning of school I am busy getting my room in order, which is a big job for me. I just can't seem to concentrate on just one thing to get done, but flit from one thing to another. I hope to be able to post some pictures of things on my classroom wikispace and blog. I hope I remember to have the kids update the blog each day. Now, what was that log-in and password?

I have been ready "The Infinite Atonement" that my dad gave us for Christmas. I was thinking of some wonderful things in there and wanted to post about it but just haven't had time. I can only read about 2 pages while I eat my breakfast, and then because I am running late I hurry and get off to work. I hope I can settle down and post some thoughts in a few weeks.

We had the Labrum family reunion on Sunday and it went well. We were happy to see so many of the family. We missed having Ross and Linda there, and all the "second generation" kids that couldn't come. But we had a good time and the food worked out nice. Thanks to Tammy for suggesting we ad sloppy joes and warm them in the big cooker we use for turkey. It worked out fine. I was informed that Candace is getting married on October 3, so I am filling my nights with busy hours of crocheting. I'm not sure I will have this afghan done by Octoer. So I had better get off this computer and go get busy!

Recipes

I was looking through Rachel's blog this morning at 4:30 (Yes, my inner alarm clock is going off even before school starts)and there were several mentions to this website,The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook. for recipes so I thought I would look. Nancy, even you can cook with these instructions! (Read that with a laugh.) There are step by step pictures of what it "should" look like as you cook and prepare the recipe. And they are all just ingredients you can buy at a regular store, or Walmart grocery section. Nothing fancy, just home-town cooking. They all look wonderful. Maybe I will try one this week.

Temples

Yesterday in Relief Society we had a lesson on attending the temple. I needed that lesson because it has been a while since I was able to go to the temple. Or should I say, since I chose to spend my time at the temple. I have lots of good excuses, but they are just excuses. Spending time in the temple always seems to clear my head and I feel the blessings of a calmer spirit for several days after going. So why do I wait so long between my trips there?

Being in Utah you would think it would be easy to just "run over" to the temple. But we are a two hour drive and right now that is expensive with gas prices so high. Someone in Relief Society said "We should go while gas is only $4.25 instead of waiting until it is $4.50 or more." What a good way to look at it. We really just need to do it. Selma also mentioned that the stairs are so hard for her. I remember being worried about them the last time I went, but I was able to make it up the large flight of stair alright. Even though it was difficult to breath. Now I am feeling better with breathing and our knees are all working better, that isn't even a good excuse any more.

Cranessa Mower and her husband, Bill Anderson, came in and shared their story about how they made the trip to the temple. Cranessa started to go with the Relief Society women to do baptisms and she would come home so excited about being able to go to the temple, but feeling that she wanted to go with the others to do an endowment session. She struggled with this for several years, until her husband started to see the spirit she came home with and felt he needed that in his life as well. They went to the temple in February of this year. They had such a special spirit about them. He talked about how much the Book of Mormon has helped him gain a stronger testimony. It was really special to see and feel their spirits.

Even though it takes us 4 hours of travel round trip to attend the temple, we are blessed to have a temple! We had a couple from India visiting our ward today. They brought such a great spirit with them. He is attending LDS Business College. They knew Kent when he was on his mission. This brother said all the priesthood leaders in their ward had been members just about a year, the bishop, counselors, Elders President, etc. They all decided they wanted to go on missions, but they were worried about what would happen to their branch. But they all went and when they returned the branch had more than doubled, split and ready to split again. What a blessing. Do we really appreciate what we have? Our attendance at meetings has been so sparse, it is like no one is there. We are really struggling with activitation and motivation.

I love the gospel. It brings peace to my mind and I enjoy the calming spirit I get when I read and attend my meetings. I enjoy the peace knowing that God is in charge and I just need to do my best and things will work out for my good. The clue is to look for that good, to do what I should, to keep trying to better myself through study and prayer.