Family Time – Page 44 – Letters from Home

Time to play

Mark asked to stay after school on the playground and explore the areas that are off-limits to second graders. The day was sunny and the playground was empty. I watched the boys swing and climb and then take off running up the grassy hill. I watched them play on the verdant hill on our lovely mountain frosted with snow, and it looked like we could be in Austria. Mountain air is a blessing. The green of the hills and the intensity of the blue sky make me think that the Creator must love the colors green and blue. We live in a beautiful place.

Flight

Being a parent means that your hopes and thoughts fly along beside your children wherever they go.

Daily departure time wishes, hugs, and prayers are important because they give the kids a glimpse into our hearts. My Evangelical Christian friends use the phrase “covered in prayer” which I think is beautiful, and describes my belief that prayer is a gift from God to bring protection, comfort, and power to His children. So, we send them off each day with our best wishes, covered in prayer.

Today

I brought these bouquets from the garden into the house today. They are so fragrant that I don’t know if they can stay.

Here are some things I am thankful for today:

Flowers in our yard
Quiet corners in the house
The piano
Testimony meeting at church
A prom dress ready two weeks in advance
Friends
Mark’s giggles at store mannequins
Timothy’s bursting social calendar
A golf cart full of Daniel’s friends
An opportunity for Paige to shine as an artist
RICHARD
Safe arrivals
A soft lawn
A day of rededication and worship

Whirlwind

There is no writing going on in a whirlwind. But here are a couple of pictures of things we have been up to. Richard’s mom celebrated a birthday with us and we welcomed Sara home from her mission over the weekend.

We checked on Spring Lake and admired the foundation.

Richard’s parents stayed for a few days and then Russ’s family stayed. There was Indian food, the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, a piano recital, a district math test, baseball games, an overnight retreat in Midway, and a violin-piano duet in a church in Spanish Fork.

We put together an answer to an art-themed prom invitation.

Daniel’s friends spent several days in the basement constructing a physics project… with lots of Lego man spectators.

I’m glad the pace isn’t always this busy, but it was good to see Richard’s family and to be among so many good friends.

Paradoxes in a Narrow Canyon

We visited some slot canyons among 31 friends on Friday. Most passages through these canyons were not too narrow, but there were a few places that we needed to slither and slide. The young kids ran through them with ease, leaving the adults behind. I did just fine, even though I feel claustrophobic and trapped at the car wash and even the drive up lane at McDonald’s. The rest of our family is fearless, so I didn’t worry about them.

The essence of our personalities emerged when we were faced with a decision between a significant drop or a very narrow passage through the rock. Each person chose a path, facing different levels of fear and trepidation. A team was required to get everyone through this tight spot. The men went through the narrow passage and then helped lower the rest of the group down the hole between boulders. Some teenagers stayed behind to help, too. I found myself being brave for a change and not feeling panic. I had to trust that those who were lowering me through this crevice had been through it before me, had a thorough knowledge of each ledge they told me to navigate, and finally, that they had the strength to lower me safely to the ground.

Many truths about life and the gospel are paradoxes. For instance, you would think that accepting help from others would make me feel weak or powerless, but the opposite was true. Exercising faith and trust is an act of courage and strength of will. Faith, when grounded in something true, becomes very empowering. Also, when I allowed myself to be helped and even carried for a few seconds, I felt valued and treasured. No doubt others experienced different lessons based on the role they played in the canyon and their life experiences.

We all have good memories from the day and many lessons were taught. I will always remember that lesson of courage in faith and the resulting feelings of worth that I experienced in the canyon. I was grateful for people who sacrificed to help us make it through that narrow and scary spot.

More Spring Break: Group shots

I’ve been looking at these group shots every few hours all day. They make me smile. Thank you, Lana and Janine for sharing these.

Spring Break Trip

We went camping with several families in the Escalante area over Spring Break. We had adventures, saw beautiful views, had a midnight tow for our truck from a remote location, laughed with friends, danced, went kayaking, hiking, and exploring. The slot canyons we visited and the falls at Calf Creek were spectacular. The other families were generous, fun, and great company.

Impromptu temple tour

Paige and I had an adventure this week across town and noticed that we were close to the Oquirrh Mountain temple. We had never visited this temple so we stopped by and took a picture. On the way home we drove past the Jordan River temple and looked around. The next day we stopped at the Provo temple for tradition’s sake. When I was a little girl I would ask my parents to take me home by way of the Provo temple, which wasn’t in our path home, but I never remember them saying no to my request.

Birthday Girl

The kids were out of school so we were able to go on an early birthday picnic for my mom. We gave her a tiara. If you see her today, remind her to put it on. She’s a queen and it’s her birthday.

Happy, happy day!

Spring Lake Easter Egg Hunt 2014

We gathered at Spring Lake for the annual Easter egg hunt, hosted by my parents.

The Round House is gone, and there are only the footings of the new house in place.

The boys and Richard helped my dad haul literally a ton of rocks and remove dead wood. Paige and I helped my mom hide all of the eggs while they were thus distracted. Timothy and Mark enjoyed working with the saw and pruners. Mark was especially proud of his bundle of sticks and asked to make one more before we left. Some cousins arrived and baby Ruth and Sparky hit it off almost immediately.

Sparky noticed that she needed a little face wash and he cleaned her right up.

It was such a pleasant day. We had some lunch and began the Easter egg hunt. We spectators had a great time watching the kids find the eggs. Richard *might* also be smiling because we bought that truck in the background on Friday. It’s a nice ride.

This is a picture of Richard and me eating chocolates and watching the kids play.This is the view of the new temple from my parents’ property. Beautiful.

We missed Sarah’s, Matt’s, and Paul’s families who couldn’t make it. We know what it’s like to miss the Annual Easter Egg hunt, but the beauty of family traditions is that there will always be next year.

(Most of these photos were taken by Paige. Thank you!)