Author: Angela

I write so my family will always have letters from home.

Moving On

The Yard Crew, summer 2020
They got so tan this summer.

This week, I picked up a few things at the store to add to the “college set” of dishes and silverware passed down from Paige to Daniel. (Where did all the teaspoons go???) I can’t think of much I should do to help him, but the impulse is to think about details such as, “Oh, he is going to need some spices!” The truth is, he grew up long ago, in South America, and he can navigate the spice aisles in Provo, Utah just fine without me.

I remember this ache. I have felt it before. Each child’s imprint is different, so the the ache for each child has its own quality. It’s terrible and precious at the same time. I don’t know why I am not thinking about Covid-19 tonight. I suppose it could spoil university plans very quickly, but we’ll deal with whatever comes.

Angels are surely with you.

Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.

2 Nephi 32:2-3

And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned.

Alma 32:23

Today I am thankful for this newly baptized little eight-year-old who is already speaking the language of angels.

Senior and Freshman

Tim and Mark are attending in-person classes at our high school. We hope school can continue at least long enough for them to get to know their teachers and for Timothy to be able to finish his armoire he had to abandon for five months in the school woodshop. The high school has a lot fewer students attending, as many opted for at-home learning. Attending school was the best option for us, and once we landed on that idea, I felt it was right. Tim and Mark seem really glad to be back in school.

I am not home alone on this first day of school. Richard is here, working from home, and Daniel has a few more days until he moves to Provo to begin BYU. Woot! We have been busy collecting things for his apartment while he wrangles his ever-evolving schedule.

Happy Crafty Birthday

When Paige was young, we would often do crafts to celebrate her birthday. I thought it would be fun to do something like that again. Mark and I set up an array of succulent plants and ordered lots of little woodland animals and buildings to populate the pots.

Squee! So cute.

And then Paige and I watched this movie. Happy day!

A big day

I was able to hike this week, which is something I have been working on since my surgery in April.

Healing is not a steady slope upward; it is a loopty-loop, a song on endless repeat, triumphs followed almost immediately by days in bed, isolating, and boring.

This snail on the trail enjoyed the little details I would have missed at a faster pace. It is so good to be able to hike again.

Resilient and Creative

I challenge you not to raise the pitch of your voice as you comment on the cuteness of these mini Jeeps.

Tim and Daniel have some new projects. Tim bought a mini jeep, and Daniel claimed a free piano. At the appearance of the mini jeep, our next-door neighbor said incredulously, “Another vehicle?”

Daniel is gutting the old piano to make an electric keyboard desk with speakers, lights, and a place to put a computer. One night in the garage, he removed all the keys but those from a jazz chord progression so he and Mark could do some improv, worry-free, since only the notes they needed were available.

Tim installed more lights on the jeep and ordered a pretty fine helmet and *chrome* goggles to wear as he drives. He offers rides around the neighborhood to our family.

These guys teach me new levels of fun and creativity.

I have decided to shift the way I think and talk about school restrictions and realities for our kids. This is not a time to paint our children as victims, but a time to help them know they can be resilient. Just imagine how much stronger these kids can be because they have been challenged to find new ways of connecting, finding fun, and working to become educated. I think we can remind them they are stronger than they know, especially as they rely upon God. We can look for possibilities more than limitations, because new ideas await. This is a time for creativity and resilience!

Take What You Need

I am enchanted by little jars of rocks with words printed on each, such as peace, joy, contentment, love, rest, etc, with a label on the jar which reads, “Take what you need.”

I made this scripture pep talk a few years ago, and I don’t think I shared it here. Take what you need.

(If you are on a PC, you can right click on the image, then select the option to open it in a new tab. This will make it larger for you to see.)