Pat’s House

My brother Pat is engaged to a wonderful woman by the name of Melody.  They do not have a wedding date yet but she does have a job at the court house beginning mid-August.  I don't think he has done much with the house since he and Diane divorced.  There is still plenty that has her fingerprints on the house. 

This little cubby wasn't really a messy spot.  It also needs a new home as there won't be any little ones living in this home anymore.

Clare, Sammi and I spent about a collective 16 hours working on the kitchen cupboards and the pantry.  Sammi decided a garage sale would get rid of a lot of these things.  Everything in the boxes is going out.

This dumpster had one small bag in it prior to me getting to it.  Most of this is expired food that was in his pantry.  It was well stocked and not used.  Ben mentioned that one particular cookie mix was expired before he was even born.  We giggles.  I'm sure I have some very old things in my pantry as well.

Today being a Saturday I thought it was a good idea to go back and work on the house with Pat there.  My goal today was to get the dishes washed and the countertops cleaned and organized.  It was accomplished.  Susie came and helped clean out a cabinet and clean the stove top as well as the table top.  Sammi and Cami cleaned out storage areas.  There is a lot of stuff to go out the door but it will look great when we get finished.  

 

New Granite Countertops

When we arrived home from our mission, we decided that we needed some upgrades in our home.  One of them being new countertops.  I love them.  

I have a goal to paint the cupboards white.  I know it is going to be a huge project so I'm working up the ambition to do it.  So consider this the before.

A Family Day

When we got back from Nauvoo, we had a family day planned where all of us could go to the NEW Zoo and then later to Bay Beach.  It has been years since I went to the zoo.  I really didn't miss much.  Once we arrived at Bay Beach, we had a nice picnic lunch before taking off to the rides.  Some of the people were cleared out by then.  Still, a Saturday wasn't really the time to go.

There were a few photos that needed to be recreated.  All of them were as penguins.

I'm not sure Eddie really saw the animals but he didn't complain as he got to ride in his stroller 

I LOVE this face!

I always enjoy the prairie dogs and this is a new way to view them.

These penguins didn't exist the last time I visited this zoo.

This is a recreation and I love these faces more now than I did when the original was taken.

A couple of guys were watching us as we went on a ride.  

This little guy couldn't get enough of the rides.  He would have drug me all over the park in order to go on the next ride.

Henry and Eli shared a ride.

Cami, Butch and Clint love the Yo-yo.  They can have it.  It makes me dizzy.

Sweet Lydia needed her own vehicle. The boys didn't always share, but Lydia never did.  

The Temple

While in Nauvoo, Lydia insisted that we go see "Nana's Nauvoo temple."  So we went in the evening when things are all lit up and it is cooler. 

The gates were already closed so we couldn't go on the grounds that evening.  It appears Henry really wanted to go in.

At 8 years old, Evelyn is really becoming a beautiful girl.  

I pray she always sets her sights on the temple.  Along with her siblings and cousins.

It is just so beautiful against the dark sky.

Last week we were able to go back to the temple and begin serving as temple workers again.  It was so wonderful to be back in the Lord's house helping people make covenants for themselves or for the dead.  There are a few changes because of Covid-19 and some will remain while others will change back some day.  How beautiful are all the temples and how blessed I am to be able to serve there. 

 

A Trip to Nauvoo

On July 5th, we loaded up the truck and headed to Nauvoo for a four day vacation.  Sammi and kids as well as Erin and Tom joined us.  What a fun time we had.  

Pat and I were able to don our blue FM shirts once again and get to work.  He poured concrete with Marty and hung with Elder Kooop.

I was able to spend a few hours with Jared.  He had one of his new painters pulling the caulking/glazing off of the windows at the Seventies Hall that we just re-caulked and painted last summer.  

The paint shop was still in great shape organizational wise.  It was fun to be back and meet my replacements.

We had to take a drive out to the Engel house.  The new stairs and concrete going to the lower apartments look great!  And the sheet rock was placed in the wall between the two.

Pat always rang the bell whenever he went into conservation.  Sister Massey wanted to give the bell to him but decided it wasn't hers to give.  It remains.  

Sister Rizley had the idea to have the senior sisters minister to the YSMs.  One of the sisters I was assigned to was Sister Melling.  She was brand new and seemed very rough around the edges.  I wasn't sure that I would even get to know her.  I was wrong!  She is amazing and I'm glad I got to know her.  She actually reminds me a lot of Larissa as she is a great basketball player.  Kind of tomboyish but super fun.  I love her!

One of my other favorite YSMs was Sister Holdcraft.  She and I spent some time visiting while she served in Carthage.  She is the eldest of a large family and she's amazing.  I was so good to hug her. 

Our first night in town we were invited by the Rizleys to have dinner with them and the Masseys and the Chestnuts.  It was so wonderful seeing them and visiting and talking about spiritually intimate subjects and laughing.  What a blessing that was as the Chestnuts left the next morning.  

Sister Daley is a companion to Sister Holdcraft.  She was another bright spot in our time as missionaries. 

And how could I ever forget the Browns?  Elder Brown loved Tom and they worked together quite a bit the first time he visited us.  They are another couple whom we love so dearly.  It was such a fun trip and way too fast. Soon we won't know any of the missionaries  that are serving there.

 

My Moped

A few months after we arrived in Nauvoo for our mission, we purchased this moped so I would have something to drive back and forth to the office.  I was on a different shift than my companion and this came in super handy.

Prior to leaving, I had a couple of FM employees offer to buy it from me.  I declined knowing I would still love it at home.  And I did.  Until my husband decided to buy a newer, less noisy one.  It went back to Nauvoo so Casey could buy it and ride it to work.  

It was a great way to get around Nauvoo and take Tom home with me while he stayed in the summer.  It took quite a few trips up the hill on Parley street.

 

Volleyball

I've been asked to volleyball a few times this summer.  I still love the game and would play more often given the chance.

The real joy of playing now is being able to play with my daughters.

I no longer have an overhand serve.  I never had one that was awesome anyway.

I can still get up and block and spike a ball though not as hard as my girls.

I go home each time being grateful to play with my daughters.

That daughter includes Cierra.  Just so you know.

 

A Dress

I saw this beautiful dress and was in awe of how stunning it looked.

It is symbol of dreams and expectations unfulfilled.  

Sometimes those we love do not get what they most desire.  Sometimes the things we want are not meant to be or perhaps someone else gets in the way.

When my children and grandchildren do all they can and still come up disappointed, it hurts my mother's heart.  As mothers we teach and nurture our children and then send them out on their own hoping that they will make the right decisions.  We pray for them and ache when they ache.   

When I think about this concept, I try to imagine how our Heavenly parents feel when they watch their children deal with disappointment and heartache and even sin.  How grateful I am every single day that I have a Father who was willing to let His son, my Savior, carry my load and die for me.  I can never repay except with my obedience.

 

Lessons of the Spirit

 Last evening I took Tom and Erin to the fireworks show in Gresham.  As always, we sat on the outfield of the ball diamond.  It was a pretty good show for such a small town.  Almost too much to take in.  I had an experience with many lessons after the show.  

I was walking out with Sammi and the children.  I was holding Henry's hand when I noticed a little girl about seven walking in front of us.  She was following a family that I felt was not hers.  I knew I needed to stay and watch what was going on as I feared she would discover that she was lost.  I handed Henry off to Evelyn and went to talk to her.  She told me her name was Elizabeth.  I took her hand and told her I would stay with her until we found her mom.  She went to her car and no one was there.  I asked her what her mom's name was.  "Carmen" she told me.  I asked if her dad's name was Brad.  She affirmed that I was right. Just after that I saw her great-grandpa and took her to her family.  When she saw her mom she was scooped up in her arms and she began to weep.

I thought about how the Spirit had used me to help Elizabeth.  I left the ninety and nine (my family) to go help the "one."  That's what the Savior did often.  I watched this little girl weep in her mother's arms.  I know that when I meet my Heavenly Father again, I will weep in His arms.  I will not matter how "lost" I was in my life, he will be happy to hold me in His arms again.  

After church today I spoke with Carmen and Brad and they thanked me for watching over their daughter.  Brad said he was calling her name and she wasn't answering and he was beginning to panic.  It was dark and there were a lot of people and cars.  I knew how I would feel if I were Elizabeth looking for my mom and dad.  I also knew how I would feel  if I couldn't find one of my children.  I could feel their relief as they thanked me.  I was just glad I had the thought of common sense of what I perceived needed to be done.  

I could easily say that it was something I did, but I know Elizabeth needed someone and the Spirit spoke to me as to what I needed to do to reunite her with her family.  I'm grateful to know how the Spirit speaks to me, even when it seems like such a common sense thing to do or just a fleeting thought.  I know that those are ways He speaks to me.