Category: Family Time

A glimpse of each day

Monday: My birthday dinner
Tuesday: A practice recital for an upcoming competition. Mark is playing a Chopin Impromptu. ❤️

Wednesday: I finished another one of these.
Thursday: Book Club at our house
Friday: temple trip

We are in a very full season of life with so much going on and so many things I could share, but I can’t seem to sort these things into words.

Wishing you the best,

-A

Alabama

Twickenham Historical District

We took a quick trip to Alabama to visit Paige and Mike and their new house. It is a beautiful house with a large yard. Their neighborhood is rural and quiet, surrounded by corn, cotton, and soybean fields. People wave to you and are very friendly, and there is a slower pace in the South which is pretty charming. Richard and Mike worked on a car dilemma and we helped select and install bathroom fixtures. Remember your first home? How exciting/daunting/fun it was to set up your own place? Well, this is where they are. What an exciting time of life. 💕

Sights of the week

I came across this model that Mark created of his old bedroom. The stacks of books, the curtains, and furniture placement are accurate and made my heart flip.
The eclipse wasn’t the most exciting thing to me this week, but the light was so eerie and we noticed how it made the air feel cold.
Some kids in the neighborhood have a jeep like Tim used to own. This scene reminded me of him. ❤️
I tracked the typhoon as it passed near Saipan thanks to live satellite images.
Richard and I were able to see Itzhak Perlman perform. We had wonderful seats and it was a remarkable experience.

Fitted to their talents

President Emily Freeman quoted Churchill last night in a devotional for youth, leaders, and parents about education.

I think the Lord taps us on the shoulder many times throughout our lives to help others based on our gifts and preparation. President Freeman’s words caused me to reflect on the times I needed to step up to do something special, unique to me, and fitted to my talents. Here are some of the things that came to my mind.

Mothering Paige, Daniel, Timothy, and Mark

Teaching homeschool

Speaking to congregations as a sister leader

Leading church and community groups

Writing family stories

Using my gift of listening

What positive things does this quote bring to your mind about your own unique contribution to the world?

Update on our grown children

Child is a word that applies to any age when a person is linked to a parent. Even though they are independent and strong, I am glad that I am still allowed to think of Paige, Daniel, and Timothy as my children.

I haven’t written about our older kids in a long time because they are living their own lives, very independent from us. But in my journal of tender mercies, any day that I get to talk to one of them, it makes the list of blessings for the day.

Paige and I have a phone appointment each Wednesday morning. It is something I look forward to each week.

Paige and Mike bought a house in Alabama this spring.

They both work from home. Michael is an accountant, and Paige works as an illustrator, and she has done a lot of digital art for the online Investopedia magazine. She mostly illustrates financial concepts, but she has also done some medical illustrations and more. This summer, her work was featured in a printed version of Investopedia magazine. She also did an illustration for the January 2023 Friend magazine.

Paige and Michael serve in the Primary organization at church. We will visit them later this fall, and it will be our first trip to Alabama.

Daniel lives nearby, and he begins his senior year at BYU this week, studying electrical engineering. He did an internship at L3 Harris (Richard’s company) this summer, so Richard talked to him quite a bit during the past several months.

After graduation next spring, Daniel will pursue a masters degree, and L3 Harris has offered him a job. Daniel and McKenna are quick to serve wherever they are needed. Daniel plays the organ in sacrament meeting and piano for choir, plus he serves in the elders quorum as service coordinator. McKenna served as assistant girls camp director this summer. Both of them help their local grandparents with all their hearts.

Timothy, our missionary, is on a new island, Saipan, a Northern Mariana island. This is country #4 where he has served during his mission, so I bought a new flag to display in the yard. He is excited to be on Saipan, and he and his companion are very busy teaching people. He is happy, as you can see.

He alternates with other missionaries to fly to a small island called Tinian on weekends to support a tiny group of members for church services. Here is a picture of their sacrament meeting last Sunday on Tinian. Oh, my! ❤️

We have a video call with Elder Ross each Sunday in the late afternoon, which is Monday morning for him. I have a hug scheduled with him on November 1 when he arrives home.

Duckie Race

We have a duckie race in the river each year at the Sanchez reunion. Each person chooses a duck and someone dumps them into the river upstream and we watch them race towards our bridge. We do three heats and pull out the winners for a fourth and final race.

The children and adults line up on the bridge and in the river to watch and cheer for their ducks. It is a coveted job among the tweens and teens to stand in the water beneath the bridge to catch the ducks in nets as they cross the finish line.

Championship trophies are awarded, so these are highly sought-after titles. The jester duck won, which was my Uncle Doug’s duck, thanks to my nephew David, who chose it for him. Doug gave the championship cup to David after an emotional acceptance speech. 😂 Mark’s monkey duck won a heat and was in the final race, along with Richard’s duck. My baby duck didn’t do very well at all. Maybe next year.