See if you can spot Daniel and Richard in this picture. They are backpacking in the Uintas this week. Our basement is strewn with dehydrated food leftovers, rope, and cast-off equipment. The hike will be nothing after all the trips to the store to prepare for it.
Richard and the boys got to attend the General Priesthood session at the Conference Center. That outtake in the second position just makes me laugh. I didn’t watch the session, but it didn’t take me long to learn there was a Chewbacca reference in one of the talks. They never talk about Star Wars with the sisters, not that I am complaining.
Richard came home from work last night and said that he thought we should do the Easter egg lesson for Family Home Evening. I had worried that the 15-year-old tradition was too juvenile so we didn’t do it for Easter this year. I am glad we went back and fixed that.
Our Easter lesson isn’t unique. I am sure it’s a popular idea. It is a collection of 12 plastic Easter eggs which I have numbered, each holding a scripture reference and small object related to Christ’s sufferings, death, and resurrection. The final egg is empty to represent the tomb. Inside the eggs are just simple things, such as a tiny cup, a length of rope, a nail, different fabrics, a sponge, a stone, a small angel, etc. Each year we take turns opening these eggs and talk about these objects and the events of Jesus’ last days. Some years we open one egg each day leading up to Easter. Other years, we have opened them all at once. The conversation has matured as the kids have grown. I think the scriptures are the key to inviting the Spirit, and we don’t read long passages. The objects are the key to keeping the younger children’s attention, but handling them does something powerful for adults. Richard was right. We shouldn’t give up this tradition, and as he taught in FHE, we should celebrate Easter all the time.
We sang, “Jesus Has Risen” from the Primary songbook about an octave and a half lower than the music is written. As the deep voices of the boys filled the room, I smiled. It wasn’t long ago that we were singing that song straight from the book, their sweet voices melting my heart. Do you want to hear what they sounded like 7 years ago? Go here. The suits! The little boys! The pale pink Easter dress! I’m dying.
This morning I packed away the lesson in our Easter decorations box, ready to be used in 2017. I may expand the lesson next year, but if I don’t, I won’t use it as an excuse not to do it. Simple traditions are sometimes the best.
We’ve given our hearts to many projects this week. Mark and Richard spent every evening and all day one day working on a pinewood derby car. I once went to a fireside by Noelle Picus-Pace where she talked about coming in 4th place a the Olympics and how you almost want any place but 4th. That’s the situation that Richard and Mark faced last night. Mark didn’t understand how the race was decided, and knowing that he had won all of his races, he thought he had won first place. We tried to explain that it was all about time, but in his mind, he was going to win the grand prize. He was brave, but I watched his heart break when his name wasn’t read. I watched his heart break over and over as he tried to understand what had happened. I know it’s good for kids to learn to cope with disappointment, but it hurts to watch it.
On a lighter note, Timothy played some great baseball this week and he and a partner made a model of an atom. I have never seen students take the electron cloud so literally, but I like it.
And I made quilt squares. I haven’t perfected the art of sewing a “scant” 1/4 inch seam, so 7 of my 9 squares are too small. Surprisingly, I am not too flummoxed about this. I am leaning toward just starting over rather than reworking seven more squares. It’s a good project for me, because the seams are just a few inches and I can step away and come back. Instead of long stretches of time, I have many 15-minute intervals of time in my days. I have a sewing room, so I can walk in and out of my project without having to clean up.
The project room for the rest of the family is the kitchen, and it’s a big mess. Someday I will miss the projects strewn all over the hearth, island, table, and computer desk, but today I am just getting up the courage to face it.
It was a social week for us, with house guests in many corners, a science camp, an art camp, full evenings, and a family reunion. I ate a burrito from Freebirds with Richard and Nancy. Mark and I were stung by wasps and Richard and Daniel came to the rescue, vacuumed them up as they flew around their nest, and sealed up the entrance to their nest beneath our house.
My knowledge and interests have expanded over the years as I have waited in my van for kids at music lessons, school, church activities, and ballet. This week I read a lot at the University of Utah while I waited for Timothy at science camp. My van is almost the only place I could read this week. At this rate, I should finish my book by Christmas. Something I did for myself was attend the New Testament Commentary Conference at BYU on Friday afternoon to hear my friend Julie speak. I stole the photo of Julie from Facebook.
A favorite moment was with Paige and Richard when we took a drive to the Albion basin to see the wildflowers. At sunset, a bull moose emerged between the trees. Its long legs made its leisurely walk as fast as our truck as we moved along the road trying to get a blurry photo. That evening I saw flowers; Richard saw the slopes he normally visits on his skis. We wove two separate themes as we talked. “Oh, look at that shade of pink…and those purple flowers! I’m dying.” To which he replied, “I can’t believe I ski over all of those boulders!” spoken with an equal sense of wonder.
Another adventure we had was weeding and planting carrots at the Church garden. The missionary in charge of the carrots kept handing us carrots for breakfast. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, we rinsed them with our dirty hands in the sprinklers and munched as we weeded. “They taste like carrots,” Richard said. We spent two hours with our whole family, working and laughing together, so I was happy.
The kids enjoyed time with 20 cousins this week, bouncing, splashing, and running. Ours is a family with cousins in perpetual motion. In the kids’ cubbies at Spring Lake, we found notes that Grandma had encouraged the Sanchez cousins to write to one another. Here are a few:
Dear Paige, I love you.
Dear Mortiky, Hi, I’m David. I love you!
To Timothy [puppy drawing] signed DAVID
A top secret note from Hogwarts School, sealed for Mark
Dear Paige, I love you. You’re my budd
iey.Dear Daniel, I painted you a picture. You’re welcome. <3 Paige
We watched the most lingering sunset ever on Saturday night. As the late summer evening darkened, the Payson temple began to glow. Watching this heavenly Changing of the Guard in silence, the light source changing from sun to temple, fed my soul.
Richard really hurt his knee while skiing a few weekends ago. Over the last two weeks he’s taken various days off from work to rest in bed and try to heal. His brother Rob is coming to town in a week and he wants to be healed so they can ski together. The reality is, Rob’s ski trip of epic proportion will probably not include Richard.
Richard yells out in pain now and then, even when it’s the middle of the night. Is it from physical pain or mental anguish? Maybe both.
On Saturday, my sister loaned him some crutches. Bionic Richard was then able to propel himself in great strides ahead of us. This made him lucky because we chose to visit BYU that day and it was one of the bleakest, coldest days we’ve had in a while. He could get between buildings long before any of us could.
The kids and I shopped the BYU bookstore until every aisle was exhausted in its possibilities for our happiness and entertainment. Richard languished in a corner of the store, found a chair, and then settled down for a nap. No one disturbed him because he looked so tired and was obviously physically challenged, his crutches propped against his chair. Sad, sad, sad.
The next day, church seemed to brighten Richard’s mood. The crutches were a source for conversation, opportunities for humor, and some sympathy. He came home and told me that he must have talked to every member of our congregation. That seemed to help him to perk up, even if he might have to go to a doctor.
He’s not had to use the crutches as much the past two days. His moaning has decreased, and he was active all day yesterday. We’ll hope that it’s the beginning of better days for Richard.
Daniel and Richard went on a High Adventure trip last week. They visited Zion National Park and hiked Angel’s Landing and walked some of the Narrows. They spent a day outside of the park rappelling and went boating in the evenings. Saturday night I sat up late and watched the videos that Richard took of the trip so I could see the fun. The footage that Richard took at Angel’s Landing made my stomach flip and my feet go numb. I also saw some spectacular rappelling by the boys and leaders. I am thankful for a great group of boys and leaders in our ward. I am glad that Richard was there, too.
