Paige and Michael drove away this morning to live in a new state with all our best wishes and love. She has lived away from home for nearly 8 years, but seeing her room without furniture feels like a final toll of a bell. Today they face a fresh beginning while perhaps we see more evidence of an ending. It is a good, terrible day.
Good job, all of us.
I chose these oil portraits Paige painted in college to frame. I really love them. I suppose framing her work and hanging it all over the house is one way I am saying goodbye.
So wrapped up in my thoughts, I misread the clock yesterday and made dinner very early. With my extra evening hours, I redecorated the shelves to embrace February, ready or not.
It is ward conference season and I am thinking a lot about my stake speaking assignments and ministering to very different needs among the wards. I am thinking about Paige and Michael’s move, and I am on the hunt for all the places I can display Paige’s art. Thinking is work. Writing talks and lesson plans is work. Planning is work, and so is settling into a new reality. When I accomplish something tangible, like cleaning out a closet or desk, I call it a nice break from the more arduous and intangible work going on within. Thinking is work.
Paige and Michael are moving out of state in a few weeks, and we have spent some time sorting her college art projects to consolidate the things she wants to take or leave behind. She is a skilled illustrator, and she also has a healthy collection of portraits and figure drawings that I admire. She agreed to let me keep some of these. But how do I choose?
I will always be thrilled to display my children’s work, no matter their age.
To celebrate Tim’s birthday, Richard and I made a temple appointment. As I finished our temple session and entered the celestial room, I was greeted by a temple worker as I never have before. He simply said “Hi,” not a more formal “hello” or reverent nod, but a joyful “Hi!” It made me think of the welcome I hope for in heaven, just a familiar “Hi.”
Last Sunday at dinner, I gave a simple baby in a manger to each of our children for Christmas, a reminder that Christmas takes different forms during our lives, and sometimes it feels incomplete, with a loss or absence of a loved one. I have learned that Christmas can still be celebrated without the full scene. The simplest Nativity, without any of the other characters surrounding Christ, is still complete because of the Baby in the manger. Christ is the only essential, and he is always there. I also believe He wants a familiarity with us, a relationship that will continue forever. I believe he also wants to greet us with a familiar, “Hi,” someday.
Mark had his first recital with his new piano teacher tonight. I have never heard a recital like it. Every student was so prepared and expressive, no matter their level. It was an exquisite musical experience.
We are proud of Mark! O Holy Night was his piece, and Richard and I were lucky to hear him shine. It is not easy to change teachers, and taking lessons with his new teacher has required him to leave school early each day to do online school at home, practice, or attend a lesson. There are moments when all the hard work and sacrifice suddenly bring forth something special. Tonight was one of these times.❤️
The Timothy iteration of Elder Ross is super funny each week in our video calls. He talks about his service in understatements and we have to draw out the things a different missionary might bring up right away. He is serving in Palau on an island called Koror. He welcomes the rain on the hot, hot days, and he is training a missionary and finding plenty of people to teach. His latest video call was interrupted by a little boy (a frequent visitor on his calls) trying to get his attention by stealing his phone and running away with it. There were scenes of a little palm, then ceilings and hallways whizzing past on the screen, and a final interception by another missionary, a hello, and a handoff. This happened twice.
A lot happens during a mission. There are a lot of emotions. There is a lot of heart stretching taking place on both ends of the weekly call.
I like preparing dinner while this light comes through the windows.
I like Mark’s friends. They are the first among our children’s friends to regularly hang out here. I like the sound of laughter coming from our basement. I like sharing treats with them and having them fill our kitchen. They are funny, so smart, good, and lively.
I like having people of all ages at our house. I keep toys ready for children and food for teens. They also like our video collection. To welcome adults, I have had to let go of concern about what the carpet looks like, or that the floor isn’t mopped, and that I don’t decorate like HGTV, and just welcome people inside. I have changed a lot in my level of hospitality. It is good (for a planner like me) to let go of the tidy plan, and embrace the messy one that allows people to feel loved and allows us to be seen as we really are. Our house has been especially full of friends the past few months. Just saying “Come in!” has a strong effect on friendships.
Mark had some great moments as a homeschool student. He said funny and clever things all the time. He also drew a lot of good pictures. These monsters and action scenes were drawn about 7 years ago in the margins of his math notebooks, but I am just getting around to displaying them. I cut them out, scanned them, and arranged them into a collage with my computer.
My favorite word lately is “curate,” as I am being mindful of what I keep and display. Now I think it would be cute to create a similar collage of artwork from each child. The art box is one of the last holdouts in my purge of homeschool papers.
Richard arranged for our family to enjoy one last camping trip this year. He reserved a large campsite in Midway with beautiful views of the changing leaves on the mountains and Heber Valley. It was chilly, but we enjoyed generous food portions, a break from phone service, plenty of hot cocoa, and singing around the fire with a guitar. Life felt pretty good. Happy 23rd Birthday to Daniel! And happy Conference weekend.
