Bret's Summer Trips

This summer has been a great summer.  The weather has been great, I found a new job that I am enjoying, and I was lucky enough to go on some fun trips.  Here are some highlights.

The water park.  This year we purchased season passes to Wet 'N Wild, the water park down the road.  We decided to do this in place of our usual "staycation".  I was glad we did.  I had a lot of fun spending time with the boys (and Tevia) at the park.  And having a season pass made it so that you didn't feel like you had to stay for hours.  Once it got too hot or too crowded, we would just leave and go back again another day.  I always wanted to do something like this as a kid.  And since I still have the mental/maturity factor of a kid, this summer was fun.

Uintah trip.  I'll start off with some education.  My whole life I always spelled Uintah with an 'h'.  While in Utah this year I noticed it spelled Uinta (no 'h').  This annoyed me until I found out that it is acceptable both ways (according to Wikipedia), though the mountains are typically without the 'h'.  So this should be titled the Uinta trip.  Either way, I finally had time to join the annual Unita trip with my father, Jacob (Wall), and Jacob (Webb).  Usually I am too busy or they try to do it after another trip.  But this year I was free and had the added bonus of having Tommy (Tom) come on his first trip as well.  I flew in to Utah with Jacob and we had a fun day playing tennis with Tommy and seeing a movie and getting some good sushi.  The next day we drove off to the mountains where we hiked in to do some manly fishing and enjoy the elements.  It was beautiful.  There were meadow flowers all over and the lakes were gorgeous.  The first day I was lucky enough to get quite a few fish and we enjoyed frying them up and eating them.  My biggest fear of the trip was being too cold, but my usual luck held up and we had no rain or cold.  Perfect weather.

The second day we headed to another lake/area and I caught so many fish I stopped counting.  At one point I almost got bored.  But it was fun.  I enjoyed the hiking and beauty and spending time with the guys.  We had some fun discussions.  On the hike out the last day I spent most of the hike with Tommy learning about his studies and getting to know him again.  I enjoyed it a lot.  He is a good guy.  I was grateful to have been able to make this trip and spend time with family.

Caves.  For Brandt's (Tevia's brother) birthday he invited me to accompany him, his dad, and his friend Dave to do some spelunking.  We drove down to Peppersauce Cave near Tucson and I loved it.  It reminded me of the Nutty Putty cave in Utah (now shut down).  There is no tour, no sign, and the freedom to do what you like.  I loved shimmying through the caves and exploring new routes.  Afterwards we headed to Tombstone for a night there.  We had dinner at Big Nose Kate's and I enjoyed the atmosphere and brisket sandwich.  Later we went to the Birdcage Theater on their night tour.  It is also called their ghost tour.  The Birdcage is apparently haunted.  It was amazing to see a building that is the same as it was back in 1880 and imagine people living there back then.  After the tour they have the group sit on the stage and turn off the lights and try to see if the ghosts will interact with the group.  Many in the group would say they had some paranormal experience that night.  Myself, being a little more skeptical and logical, did not, but did have fun.

The next day we went to Karchner Caverns where I have wanted to go for years.  This is a more tourist-type cave, but it was awesome none-the-less and beautiful.  I was glad to have gone as now I know our kids would have no problems with the tour (the website makes it sound like it is too tough for kids or people with disabilities).  The trip was a lot of fun and worthy of an encore at some point.

Now the kids are back in school which signals the end of summer.  I'm actually in Minnesota right now on business.

Gratitude

I have to say, our family is having a wonderful 2103.  
I have so much gratitude in my heart lately, I can hardly keep from smiling.

In no particular order~
We prayed and fasted for Bret to find a job he would like better, and he did!
Ditto for Jimmy!
And so proud of him and Tom for their graduations and success. 
Dad didn't get layed-off, although many of us secretly wish he had. (I don't think he is quite ready- but I am!) 
All four of you families have the moms at home with their children!  What a blessing in this age where that is considered old-fashioned, and the economy makes it almost impossible.
Kudos to all of you who go without 'things' to gain much better blessings of being with your children.
And we welcomed a new addition- Izaac James!
Hazel started school, Jarek- high school!  Landmarks!  
All the grandchildren are growing and happy.
Family was able to be together often.  Service was done.  Lives were touched.  And there was fishing and camping and bonding,  and I got to get to know Holly and Beckham better and loved every minute of it.
We all continue to be temple goers, which is an amazing feat in itself! I personally thank you for your dedication and faith. It brings me great joy.  There surely is peace in our posterity.
Many of us have new callings that will stretch our capabilities and teach us what He wants us to know. I find my calling in the temple to be the greatest calling I have ever held, albeit sometimes it is standing in the laundry for an hour folding towels.  I love knowing I have the privilege to be there and help others attend.  I continue to struggle with my Institute calling, yet I  know that I am learning great things from it. 
The talents and skills you are all developing never ceases to amaze me.  
And, extended family- we were happy Holly got to meet more Walls, Bret got to see grandma and Jesse, and we love when we get to be around Webb & Millie.  
I just feel we have all been very blessed, and wanted to let you know that I acknowledge those blessings.  

I know there is more, but, I am just dying to get to  my genealogy this morning.  I am close to a breakthrough, and need some prayers so I can get this data all figured out.  My mind is not as clear and focused as it used to be.
I look forward to being together at Thanksgiving. 
I so much love you all.  I want very badly to live closer to all of you. I will try and continue to be a good long distance grandma.  Please keep the Google chats and phone calls and emails coming. Any ideas to increase the love is encouraged.  I would like to start up FHE each month again.  Does the first Monday of each month sound good?  

The Year of the Fishy

I'll just be honest, sometimes when you take a picture, its impossible not to smile.  When I caught this little boy at the bottom of Flaming Gorge, I was grinning like an idiot for a very long time.  31 pounds 42 inches and 10 minutes of fighting for this glorious lake trout! 

We also caught our bag limit of Salmon and they were some pretty fish.

At one point the commotion of a fish being reeled in and a gust of wind relieved me of my hat.  But Webb and Russ snatched the hat and the fish in the net:-)

These pictures were my 4th major fishing trip of the year.  I went deep sea fishing off San Diego, Salmon fishing in Alaska, trout fishing after backpacking into the Uninta Mountains of Utah and finally lake trout, salmon fishing, and some rainbows in the Flaming Gorge.

These trips were incredible and adventurous, and memories I won't soon forget.  Life is busy, challenging and moves way to fast.  Please try your best to experience important adventures like these which slow down our mortal journey and remind us of what is really important.  Fish really are the most important oops, erm I mean family, friends and our experiences with them are the most important memories to take from this life.  Also, thanks for all those still crazy enough to invite or go with me on silly adventures!

New Job - Trip to Cleveland

After some time looking, I finally was able to find a job that suited me and accepted an offer of employment.  This last week was my official first week and I was asked to travel to their largest office (in Cleveland) to do some training.  I will be working out of my home, but I bought a ticket and flew out on Monday and came back on Friday.

From my first impressions I am excited about this new company and opportunity.  The people were very nice and the company seemed together and about what I imagined.  So that whole part went well.

The nice thing about going to Cleveland is that I had lived there and have family there.  I was able to schedule a couple of things with family members and that made the whole trip even better.

The first visit was going with my uncle Michael (my mother's brother) to visit my grandmother.  We went to her assisted living home and spent a good two hours or so with her.  It was great to see her.  She did not recognize me when I entered, but quickly caught on.  We talked about many things including her wonderful life and it was great to hear her laughter and positive attitude.  It was a great visit.

The second was a dinner with my uncle Michael and his wife and daughter (my cousin Jessica/Jessie) and her family.  We ate at Applebees and spent a couple of hours talking about life, family and trading stories.  It was a lot of fun and great to spend time with family.  I don't get to see this part of the family too much and it was great to see them.  I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with them and get to know them again.  I am guessing I will most likely get out to Cleveland again some time and hope to set some more things up when I do.

I am excited for this new part of my life.  It was time for a change and I am hoping that this new company can provide what I have been missing the last year or so.  I am looking forward to giving my all and helping this company grow and improve.

Long-Awaited Pictures

Here's my first blog post EVER. Not sure how to do the pictures in the cool format where it scrolls through them, but at least we've added some! :) Enjoy. (They're all pictures from our recent trip to Wyoming.)

My dad thought it was more important to get the fish in the picture than Tom's face! :)

Beckham LOVED sitting in the front seat while we were waiting in the car - so many button to push and knobs to turn...

Not Beckham - but we thought these were fun pictures of some of the wildlife we saw in Yellowstone.

Trying to walk

Bret Russell Wall came into the world in Fall River, Massachusetts.  Paid for in full by the US Navy.
My story-
I had an easy pregnancy.  I was working throughout the whole pregnancy at Burger King.  Since they didn't have uniforms for pregnant women, I was allowed to make my own ugly gold smock-like shirt.  :)
I gave myself two week off before his due date to prepare for his arrival and relax a bit.
My ex was living on the Navy base in South Carolina.  ( I don't remember particulars, he was gone on a long cruise, came back and got transferred, but it was only temporary, so we decided not to move  me at the time, or something like that.)
I think it was a Friday.  I took my friend's child to the playground, pushed him on the swing and slide, and felt tired.  I decided I still needed to go grocery shopping. At the store I felt I was 'spotting' and started cramping.  I could tell something was wrong, and left the cart with all the food in it, and drove home.  (no cell phones back then)  I was too naive to think to drive to a hospital.
I called the doctor, and he said to come right in to the hospital.  My friend Ann drove me so I wouldn't have to leave my car there.  She couldn't stay with me because she had kids with her.
So I was dropped of, alone, having what they termed placenta previa.
I was whisked into a wheel chair, prepped, and in a delivery room before I knew it could even happen that fast.  The nurses were whispering things to each other, like, "She's all alone".  I didn't feel scared for myself, but was worried about the baby.
I swear it seemed to happen in less than 1/2 hour. They did the old-fashioned emergency C section, and I heard a baby cry.  I actually asked them if someone else was in the operating room.  I had no idea whatsoever that they could take a baby out of a woman that quickly!
They put him on oxygen, but said he was perfectly strong and healthy.
(His name had been chosen beforehand by Terry.  He was going to name the baby if it was a boy, and I would name her it was a girl.  I don't think we knew it was going to be a boy.  The name Bret was not common back then, especially not in the East.  It was chosen from the Western guys, Bret and Bart or Bert Maverick on either a TV show or movies)
I was not allowed to even sit up for 24 hours because I was given what they used to call a spinal, and if you sat up, it would give you terrible headaches.
I called my mom, and she said her and my sister would drive up soon. They tried to contact Terry, but he was AWOL, and they couldn't locate him.
I was in the hospital at least 4 or 5 days, so I don't know which day my mom, sis, and Terry arrived.
I do remember seeing angels flying around the clock in the hospital room, and I mean good old cute little winged angels like in Catholic pictures.  So I am sure I had good pain medication.
Bret was an easy baby, and always a joy.  I went back to work quite soon, and my sister stayed with me, so she worked days at Burger King so I could be home with Bret, and I worked the 3 to 11 shift, or sometimes 5-11 shift.  Thus Kathy did have the crabby times, and she would walk Bret in her arms around the house for an hour sometimes at night to get him to bed.
I did nurse him till about 6 months old, without a pump, and stopped when he learned to drink a BK milkshake out of a straw. Yes, seriously.  I then put him on that powdered milk stuff but he hardly ever took it from a bottle, so I do know by a year old he had no more bottles at all, and I don't think he was in a crib, either, but I am not sure.
For those who do not know, Fred also worked at the same BK< which is where I met him.
Kathy & Fred were dating by the end of the summer.
Bret was my life. We played Matchbox cars and blocks, took long walks, and went to beaches and playgrounds.  When I broke my leg, he was 2, and capable of actually helping me.
Our time in New England was amazing together.
We moved back to Cleveland the summer he turned 3.  By then he was very mature for his age, and made friends quickly, and unfortunately had to attend play groups and preschools so I could work, but he loved his teachers and the places he attended were wonderful. One year it was a Mormon lady from our ward who watched just him and her daughter.
Bret & I shared bunk beds in our one-room apartment in Cleveland, with donated furniture items, yellow plastic end tables from a grocery store Frank worked at, and a heater in the middle of the room, no shower, and lots of love.
There is lots more to tell of Bret's wonderful life.  He was loved from the minute he arrived, and he always made me happy.  He was a gift to me.  Anytime to this very day, I smile when I see he is calling me.
Thank you Bret, for being such a great son!

Spring 2013

I have been reminded a lot lately, mostly through feelings, how wonderfully blessed I am.  One great blessing is living in Phoenix and experiencing this great Spring with warm weather and cool evenings.  It is always great to be able to jump in the pool in April.

A few weeks ago I took a day off of work to spend the kids' Spring Break on a trip to New Mexico.  Tevia's parents came with us and we went first to the Petrified Wood national forest.  I had never been and was actually quite amazed and enjoyed our time there.  We then headed off to New Mexico.  One of my favorite parts was spending time at El Rancho Hotel where we had a fabulous dinner and decided we definitely have to stay there some time.  The other part that I loved was going to El Morro and seeing inscription rock.  I am not one to usually reflect on history, but reading some of the engravings of people who had passed by hundreds of years ago made me think what it would have been like all those years ago.  It was very cool to read about the people and see this natural water source that people used to survive as they traveled the region.  Though it was very cold and windy, this was a very cool stop.

Last night we spent time with some friends who are going to New Zealand next month to live.  They have wanted to do this for some time and sold their house and everything and are going down to experience this adventure and give their kids a new perspective.  I was impressed, as I always have been, by their down-to-earth attitude and their ability to minimize the allure of acquiring "things" and look to build memories and experiences.  I know that our adventure to Hong Kong was amazing and I know they will love it for however long they stay.  I would love to have such an opportunity again.

As the days get longer and warmer I look forward to summer and spending time with Tevia and the boys and enjoying the Arizona heat.

Fav GC talks anyone?

I loved how the Apostles and GA's came at some very current problems clearly and directly.  They deliver their talks powerfully and spiritually, instead of lecturing and judging.
I was more inspired on Sunday than Saturday. I was listening for some personal stuff.  I have a few issues I am dealing with. I got one clear answer.  Hurray for inspiration and revelation!
I used to do more of listening and thinking, "that talk is a good one for ____"  (insert any name I may think needed that particular talk)   I am learning that they are all applicable to me.
I have started rating the talks so I can go back and read the ones I want to. I am using a 5 * system.
The talks that made my 5 ***** list:
Elder Bednar- "as we pursue virtue, the Holy Ghost will be our guide" and, "every appetite may be overcome"
President Uchdorf- the Hope of Christ's light when I am feeling alone, unloved, and lost, and that we will make mistakes and falter, and that is okay.

Elder Hales- the marriage talk!  I loved it!

Elder Holland- " Help thou mine unbelief"  I have always loved that line, and he helped me to feel okay about having less faith than I want, and what to do.  This was my favorite! "Don't lead with our doubt" and "we are finite vessels".

I noted to reread Enriqu Falabella's talk and Erich Kopische's talk.  I missed some words on both and I like how the latter GA said that the feeling of being accepted is a basic human need.  I can't believe I am still working on that at my ancient age.

Todd Christofferson had one line that I really needed to help me find peace with some very personal  worries about my dad. I am thankful for that.

I am grateful President Packer got to give his talk, and I plan on sending his poem on aging to my mother.

I thought of Jacob during the fire story, and I loved that President Monson seemed more clear and alert and he did a great job! He said obedience is essential to our salvation, and that we will be tried and tested.
I also loved that Elder Oaks did an excellent job of covering the topic of people questioning what Mormons believe about Christ, and using only the 4 Gospels. I will use that talk often.

Dad had emailed Carol and invited her to listen to some of the talks, now that we know she has BYU TV. I am hoping she did.  I found out some things about her that I never knew.  Remind me to tell any of you who want to know when I am there. She is a very religious person.

Happy Easter to all!  I truly am grateful to our Savior, and know this plan of salvation is true.  This lifetime is but a moment in our overall picture, and I am glad I get to spend them with all of you.

Grown up kids

The morning after the blizzard, I went downstairs to see which car dad had decided to drive to West Point for his Sunday meetings.  He left at 6:30 am. I was still cozy in bed.
As I peeked out of the door into the cold garage, I noticed my hand was on all the little lines and dashes we had drawn on the side of the door,  Tom, 41", Jacob, 48', etc.  
I actually got teary.  All four of those little ones are grown ups, full-blown adults. 
What happened and when?
As I watch the grandchildren now change and grow so fast, I realize how quickly life passes.  
It seems just a short time ago when Jacob was begging me to go outside, like Lexi does to Kathy, and when Bret was his kids ages, and busy with scouts and school and friends, and Kathy was dancing all over the house and I was hoping she'd get hair someday. And Tommy was running down the field playing soccer and scoring so much they had to take him out.
I love all the wonderful memories we have had with all of you kids.
So enjoy all these stages your kids are going through, whether the not sleeping through the night, to the Big 'O" preteen stage, to pre-K, etc.  
It seemed hard to me then, but as I reflect back, it seemed so sweet, and not so hard at all.

Another Thursday night success and blessing!

The Story of Mary Dippold

Thursday night is my usual genealogy night.  Don is away at Stake meetings until late, so I always wait up for him, even if it is until midnight.  Doing genealogy work keeps me awake enough to make it up that long.

I am continually praying for help with my research.  I have received divine help before.

I often pray on Wednesday nights, knowing I will get a chance to work on our family  on Thursdays.  Many times I ask what line to work on.  Last week I was blessed with a  dream about Velma, and that Thursday night, I found that someone else has been working on her line, and it is the first line I have been able to get back to the 1700’s!

Last night, I had  a dream, and all I remembered when I awoke was something about there are a lot of Mary’s, but Mary Dippold is the important one, (and I add here , that I think it was kind of like, the main one to focus on, more like a feeling than a logical thought).

I was excited, but scared.  I think I had heard the name Dippold before someone in my research, but not sure where exactly.  I couldn’t believe my brain would just come up with a name like that, so I was hoping it was divine inspiration, and I couldn’t wait to do my genealogy tonight.

As soon as Don left, I got out all my notes and folders.( I had sneaked  a few minutes during the day to put her name in Family Search, so curious as to if it would come up, and it  did!  It came up with her mother’s name Krisch, and her father’s name Helmrich.  I know where Krisch  is in our line, and I have heard the Helmrich names.)

In my notes I found that I had 4 different Mary’s, some Helmrichs, and there were drawings and charts of me trying to make sense out of who was who, and how they were related.  (Mary Rumm, Mary Kirsch, another Mary Krisch, a Mary Helmrich, and a Mary Dippold!)

I went online and found all the sources I could find: censuses, death and birth records, etc. 

I then spent about an hour, piecing it all together by dates and sorting, and using visual charts to put each Mary in the right generation.

Success! Mary Dippold is the niece of Florian Pylick and his wife, Josephine Krish.  (Florian is my great-grandfather’s brother).

I entered all the information, and was a bit worried it wouldn’t let me do her work because sometimes it asks pretty specific questions.  I t allowed me to!  If I get lucky, we will do it this Saturday when we go to the Manhattan temple. 

Truly amazing!  I could have never come up with that name myself. I had tried to fit the Helmrichs into my line before. I am guessing she really wants her work done!  I am excited to do it!

I forgot to add, last night it was the coldest night of the year so far, going to be about 5 degrees when I go out to teach Institute at the church. 

I was so tempted to just wear pants.  I don’t think it is all that terrible to, but I had asked the Regional Coordinator over Institute and Seminary when I was first called, and he asked me to please wear a dress or skirt.

I rationalized over and over right up until it was time to go, and I finally decided to just be obedient, suck it up, and wear a skirt with boots. 

I wonder if sometimes we get extra blessings when we show exact obedience like  that?

Another PS- I had asked my sister last week if she thought we should consider doing the work for Doris in March.  She said we would have to ask Sam and Vince, even though she was close to  us and is my mom’s sister.  Early this morning, like at 5:30 am, I was unable to sleep from the excitement of the Mary Dippold dream, and was pondering things.  Doris came to mind, and I was kind of wondering if I should write Sam and Vince, and the room all of a sudden got light, seriously!  I then realized my phone just came on and went bright, with  no phone call or message or text at all.  J  A  sign?  A  coincidence? In general I am not one who goes for physical ‘signs’, so I think it is a stretch… but…. Who knows?  What do you think?  

Good news in genealogy!

Now that the holidays are over, I finally have more time to get back into researching my family.
I also like to think that dad and his sister Sharon are now up there helping.
So after an all day Thursday blitz, I caught up with some organizational issues, and was ready to decide which line to delve into again. I prayed about it.
I had 2 dreams in a row about my grandpa's wife, Velma.
Now, I am not sure that these were a direct answer to my prayer. I thought about it this morning, and decided- even if it is not, it won't hurt to start there.
Side note: Velma was  a very religious lady.  I think Methodist. But she was the reason my grandfather stopped drinking. He never drank again after he married her. She told me she had Mormon's in her ancestry.   She also gave me a typed, detailed history of her father's family before she died.
Back to my story- This morning I searched for her mother's family on the new Family Tree that comes up in NewFamilySearch. If you haven't seen it, check it out.  It is easier to manipulate between people.  I like it much better!
And, there it is! Thanks to technology, family search, and some individuals, her mother's line of Hanning is now all the way back to 1730!  And the work is being done in temple in Dallas and LA.
Success!
I had noted on my notes that I couldn't go back farther because than I had because the dates were past the ones on Family Search, but, somehow there are records from 1820 census on there.
Another one of her lines is being done by someone in Hawaii!
So cool!
I am happy for her this morning. For her righteousness, her good example, and her willingness to keep families together.

Goodbye 2012

As mentioned in my favorites post, 2012 wasn't awesome.  In fact, there were times I downright did not like it.  As I look back I find that a lot of that was just my attitude; for the first time I can remember I let negativity affect my life.  It seemed more like I just "made it through" the year.  Looking back, it is ridiculous to have felt this way.  In reality, except for one part of my life, 2012 was great.  Health: fantastic.  Family: great.  Trips/Vacations: Awesome.  But I let a frustrating job year get in the way of real life.  I have never done this before.  I pride myself on my optimism and view of life.  I often tell people - and did in 2012 - that your job doesn't matter and that other things are more important.  And I still believed that last year, but I still let stress and frustration get the best of me.  It was the first year in a long time that I didn't feel everyone thought I was the best (from a career perspective).  I've always been that high-flyer that overachieved and everyone loved.  With my new job, and working alone from home, I didn't get that constant feedback.  Add that to a very stressful year where the company struggled a little and it was my job to clean up the mess (that I didn't create) and it became the perfect storm to get me down.  I began to focus on myself.  My prayers, my fasts, my thoughts were all turned inward.  I wanted change.  I wanted to be who I was in 2011.  I was losing myself.

There were several times that I almost got out of the funk.  I got great advice from books and friends.  But it seemed to only last temporarily.  In the end I think I was just looking to get away.  And when that didn't happen immediately, I was crushed.  And though I still loved all the things that really bring me happiness (wife, kids, family, basketball, Phoenix weather, hiking, reading...) those things became a secondary part of my life.  My self-focus took me away from my happiness.  All of us go through stress.  All of us have sucky months or years.  But I realized that even a very positive person like myself can lose perspective.  Slowly at the end of the year I began to see this.  I slowly focused on those around me and not myself.  I focused on gratitude for what I have and not what I didn't have.  Hopefully I am through this phase for the most part.  It is sad to me that I look back on 2012 and for the most part don't visualize the many blessings I have.  I see what I wanted and didn't get.  I see selfishness and frustration for being in a situation that was uncomfortable.  I see ingratitude.  I was humbled.  And that did lead me to God.  This brought some great moments in the year, too, and helped establish broken habits.  But once again, my turn towards God was out of selfishness. 

For 2013 I want to be who I really am.  That guy that lives for his kids and wife.  Who loves getting up at 5 AM to play basketball.  Who looks forward to long hikes in 100 degree weather.  Who loves the fact that he has family just minutes away.  Who is thrilled that he still has hair and his laser eyes still work.  Who loves living so close to a park, a church and a school.  Who loves playing games.  Who tries to think of others and serve those around him.  I want him back.  And I'm determined to get him back.  So for those around me in 2012, I apologize for being a downer.  I'm sorry if I couldn't bring that smile like I used to.  I entered 2012 with a negative attitude.  It had a rough start (from a job perspective) and I never let that go. 

Here's to a wonderful year full of laughter and joy.  Every day is a blessing and I know this.  Let's live more in the present. 

2012 Favorites

2012 will not go down as one of my favorite years.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't awesome (for me), either.  One of my goals for 2013 is to be more positive to make the year better.  But I did have some things I liked in 2012 and thought I would list them.  Feel free to list your favorites in the comments or on your own post.

Favorite Songs:
#1 Some Nights - Fun.
We Are Young - Fun.
Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
It's Time - Imagine Dragons
Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
Ai Te Pego - Michel Telo
Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
Lights - Ellie Golding

Favorite Movies:
#1 The Avengers
Moonrise Kingdom

Favorite Meals:
Date with Tevia at Citizen Public House
Eathai Busaba in London
Any meal with Tevia's new brussel sprouts recipe

Favorite Sports Moments:
The Olympics
USA Women's Gymnastics team winning Gold
Any Michael Phelps race
BYU winning bowl game

Favorite Book:
Beyonders 2: Seeds of Rebellion - Brandon Mull

Who's that holding Bex?

Help me I beg of you

Two wall babies will be born
Tho a little Cox will be in my belly
Jimmy will go to the academy in Arizona so we can stay!
Mom and Dad won't move
Someone will have a near death experience at lake powell
Jimmy and I will finally give church talks in our new ward
Jake will get a new kind of job
Tevia will start taking professional pics
Hazel will start a dance or gymnastics class
We will finally go to Mexico!
And the giants will win the super bowl!!!!



Hey, so I was pretty dang close in all of mine with the exception of a few. 

Why am I up at 2? Because my child is crying and has been for an literally an hour. Suggestions for taming this wild beast would be well received. (More so for not sitting still in any location ever)... the night thing, I actually think she is starting to have some bad dreams and will just take a mean mom to be strong for a couple nights.

She has been waking up now in the middle of the night for a week now. The first night I went an hour but Jimmy caved. I did not care as much because I have felt like death for the past week. Which is why I have then allowed her to have a bottle in bed with us for 20 minutes the last couple nights. Now I have obviously started a terrible habit which disables me to sleep as well as her.

Anyway, she goes down fine and wakes up frantic. I refuse to give in anymore at this point. But It has now been over an hour. 

Maybe she is having night mares that I will kill her. Sometimes I think I just might. =)

As far as the sitting still and crying shamelessly when she has to and/or is overtired, like I said. Wouldn't mind the advice.

An hour and 20 minutes. Still going... quite strong. Not sure what I produced


..... not sure why my writing looks like this.  

some photos of fumeral

Posterity of Gaymore and Esther Wall

As of the day before the funeral, dad and I had the older and youngest great-grandchildren: Jarek and Beckham.  Seth Woodland and his wife then had a new baby that week.

Well, I scanned it, but it won't let me post it here.  I think all 4 kids got a copy, but if you want one, let me know and I can email it to you.

Leslie is now trying to update it with birthdates and wedding dates.  I can send you her list as well.

Dad Wall's death & funeral, mom's version

The night of hurricane Sandy, we received a phone call that Gaymore had had a massive heart attack.  A week later, the night of our Noreaster, we rec'd word that he had suffered a major stroke.  There are two very good stories by Ralph and Leslie explaining his death in good detail if anyone wants to read them.
Dad cried most of the night, and I felt his sadness, as I still can easily recall the death of my father in March of this year.  I still come to tears when I think of him, and see things that remind me of him.  Dad did not think he would miss him, as he only sees him once a year, but, it is a hard thing to know that you cannot call or see him again here on earth.
We extended our already planned trip to Utah and Idaho to include the funeral and viewing plans. Patty had decided that holding the funeral quite a bit later would make it easier for more people to attend.  Dad had 43 grandchildren, and over 70 great- grandchildren.  I will post this list on here for reference.
It was hard on dad to know that 7/9 kids were all together at the death and planning things, and he had to wait, go to work, and live life like normal.  I think he wished he could get on a plane and go there and not have to wait.
We flew out on Thursday, and stayed at Bonnie's, the first of many nights of moving around from family bedrooms to hotels in Idaho, Centerville, Provo, and Idaho, back and forth.
Both dad & I were very pleased and glad all 4 of our kids came to be with dad and show their respect to the family.  Thank you all for coming, and all you spouses for letting them come.
The Fairfield Inn in Burley was suggested, and we had no idea so many others in the family were going to stay there.  That was fun, but yet, overwhelming.
The hotel itself was very nice, and we had 2 adjoining rooms.  This worked well for Kathy and Lexi.
We didn't get a chance to use the pool or spa, but I did get to go walking one morning on the treadmill.
The viewing was an opposite of my father's.  It was more like people happy to see each other, much less reverent, and I kind of felt like Gaymore was not even the focus.
Patty ordered pizza to be served at the hotel, which dad & I skipped, and went by ourselves for a quiet peaceful unhealthy meal and yummy eggnog milkshake at the nearby McDonalds.
This is a good time to mention that Don's brother, Dean, who the family had not seen for over 10 years, came up to attend the events, and stayed at the hotel. There was great rejoicing in seeing him and stories and memories were shared between the siblings.
The next day, the funeral was at 10 am.  The talks were both longer than they should have been with that many children in the audience.  Ralph gave the eulogy, and Mike gave the talk, which was more like a presentation about Job.  I enjoyed it, but felt it was not really funeral material or appropriate.  The grandchildren and great-grandchildren each sang a song.  There is a CD version of the funeral if anyone desires to have it.
We went to the graveside service, where dad gave the blessing on the grave prayer.  Later, I overheard people saying they wished there had been more time spent at the cemetery. I disagreed with that.  With all the kids romping through  the cemetery, I was glad it was quick. It was a nice sunny day, and the view was beautiful, and I loved watching Lexi follow other kids around. I did my best to keep her from climbing on the gravestones.  I felt it was disrespectful, even of little children.  Some mothers agreed, some did not.
Back to the church for the typical but delicious meal of funeral potatoes, ham, rolls, and jello.  Really.
Lots more chit-chat, and some photos were taken.
I have all the photos that Craig Christensen took if anyone wants them.
Then the 9 children were asked to go to Gaymore's house to go through things.  This was hard, as we were all tired, and I just wanted to be with my own 4 kids by then.  Dad felt it was awkward and he almost felt  like we were intruding on dad's privacy. It was strange, for sure, and slow-going, as most of the siblings just didn't really want to go through things.  In the end, dad did take 4 or 5 pictures he had painted, which he send home with Tommy.   He thinks 3 of them are not worth keeping - since some of you have requested owning one of dad's paintings, he is asking Tom to bring them to AZ for Christmas, and you can choose one if so desired.
There were 7 guns to be dispersed of.  This didn't happen that day because of many disagreements.  Later, Ralph took them all to his house.  On Thanksgiving, dad did get to take one of the ones he wanted.
We got back to the hotel, and I went with the kids to Arby's.  Dad was really upset and tired at this point, and wanted to be alone.
Tom and Jacob went to a movie, and there is some secret story out there about Jacob losing his phone, and Tom being pulled over by the police.
Kathy had a hard time getting Lexi to sleep, so in the end, Lexi slept on the bed with her.  I slept on the other queen bed in that room that night, as we were so glad Tom decided to stay overnight with us. I felt it was so cute how he was worried about leaving Holly and the new baby, and she was worried about Tom driving home alone late at night.  They are so good to each other.
Sunday the kids went home, and dad and I attended the Boise temple rededication.  Very nice.
Patty had tons of her kids and us over for a dinner after that neighbors and ward members provided.  More talking and stories and memories. We stayed there that night after most of the people left.  At one point, I marveled at the mess that  many kids could make in a basement, but, with the good, responsible kids Patty raised, all was cleaned up and put away without Patty even lifting a finger or saying a word.  I was amazed at her focus on her siblings and kids amidst basically chaos running around and throughout the house.  Think over 30 kids of all ages from 1- 10 all in one house for hours.
Michael John, Danny, and Martin Woodland all took the time to come talk to me individually, which I loved.
I love being on the farm and the view is amazing!
We woke to no power, so, instead of staying over one more day, I was anxious to go down and see Beckham!
He is adorable, Holly looks great, and we attempted to make them dinner with fresh Idaho potatoes.  That did not turn out so good.
Tuesday we visited Dean and his wife's place in Bluffdale.   Cool place with another beautiful view!
Back to Tom's, Bonnie's, then Ralph's for Thanksgiving.  That was fun. Leslie, Dean, Debbie, and others came. I played pool with Martin Wall and Jason Wall, and cards with Andrew and his wife Kim.  Really fun and great food.
Back to Tom's on Friday, then went to a BYU basketball game on Saturday, which was my first one, and I loved it!
Loved Tom's ward on Sunday.  He did a great job blessing Beckham, and Holly's brother also blessed their baby in that ward too.  We had  lunch at Clayton's place, and dinner at Tom's, well, actually, we werent' hungry, so we skipped dinner.   I have the words to the blessing if anyone wants them.
Sunday night we stayed at the Ketcheson's.  Love them and miss them.
Monday, dad had his own day to enjoy Utah.  We went to the Tracy Aviary, his old house, past his old schools, lunch at Iceberg, past our old house on Millbrook, saw the Lincoln movie, and went to temple square to see the lights. Dad was in a happy mood all day!
Got to the airport 3 hours early because dad was worried about bringing the gun on the plane.
Took the redeye home, and that was not so fun.  Snow, traffic, and an off the road accident made it so we didn't get home till 10 am and we had landed at 5:30 am.
The trip was long, and  a strange mix of emotions, but fun to see so many family and be with my kids and Lexi.   Glad to be there for the baby blessing!  and glad to be home.

Idaho Adventure

This last weekend I attended the funeral of my paternal grandfather in Burley, Idaho.  It was great to see my family (many cousins and aunts and uncles).  The trip was quick, but good.  It was also fun to travel with my brother and sister.  The best memory of the trip will be the following sequence, which I wanted to record.

----

I never miss flights.  I am proud of my good karma with traveling via plane.  So I really was tempted to leave later that morning.  Our flight was at 2 PM and it was only a two hour drive to Salt Lake City.  But I thought we should be conservative as we had a baby with us and then we would have time to eat some lunch.  We headed out of the hotel and said our goodbyes.  I lead out in the rented Ford Explorer and was followed by my brother Tommy (or Tom as he likes to be called now; as if having a child makes him a man) who lives in Provo. 

The hotel is literally right next to the highway that goes to SLC.  I get on the highway and we chat it up like siblings do while doing 80 on the freeway.  About 40 minutes later I get a small thought about why I haven't seen any signs for Utah.  We should be close to the border by now.  My mind starts computing.  Could we be going the wrong way?  No, that is impossible.  How could I have turned the wrong way?  Wouldn't Tommy have said something?  The scenery looks familiar, right?  Wait, did we see windmills on the way up?  Then I look at the compass on the dashboard.  It has to be lying.  How can we possibly be going North?!?!

All of this happens in my mind in about 3 seconds.  We are going the wrong way; the opposite way of the airport.  We have been traveling for over 40 minutes.  I tell my brother to confirm this on his phone but immediately begin turning off on the next exit.  He confirms it and I tell him to call Tommy.  Tommy mentions he thought we were going the wrong way but didn't say anything because he thought maybe we had a short cut or something (what faith younger brothers have!). 

We turn around and try to determine if it is even possible to make the flight.  I am determined we will make it.  I am worried about speeding, though, as I had seen many cops on the way up.  So we stay about 10 miles over the speed limit to minimize our chances of getting a ticket.  We need every minute to make up the time.  We are just about back to where we started when Jacob says he has to pee.  Really?  Now?  He can't wait, so we have to pull over.  This seems funny, especially when about 90 minutes later he says we have to stop again.  It is like going to San Diego with Jimmy all over again.  He hasn't even had anything to drink since our last stop.  How small is this kid's bladder?  We are cutting it close, but when you gotta go...  I even take advantage of the stop to empty mine.  Why not?  The best part is when we stop at the Taco Bell to go in, the men's bathroom is closed for repairs.  How typical.  We easily remedy this by entering the women's bathroom together.  I'm sure somebody will get a kick out of that security video.

The baby (Ms. Lexi) hasn't enjoyed the detour through Idaho.  It literally sounds like she is trying to kill herself by a mixed cry/choking routine.  Kathy does a good job of not getting stressed.  It's not big deal to me; I'm completely focused on looking out for cops and willing time and space to bend to accommodate our flight back to Phoenix.  Kathy eventually stuffs something down Lexi's throat (I am sure it was legal) and she eventually calms down.  Jacob continually updates us on the time and miles to the airport.  35.  32.  15.  We are almost there.  I have to return the rental car, but in SLC the rental car place is at the airport, which is nice.  We get to the rental car place and I send the other three on their way.  I think we have time, but let's not risk all of us missing the flight.  If I have to stay behind, that is fine.  I'm nice that way.  Sacrifice for the good of the group sort of thing.  All big brothers are supposed to do that.  Of course, there is a huge line at the rental place.  I wait patiently trying not to get frustrated.  Others in line are doing that for me.  Eventually I get there and they charge me nearly double of what they said they would.  I question this but realize I don't have time to argue with them.  I'd rather lose $50 and make my flight, so I ask for a manager's number to call and rush to the airport.  I get a call.  All is good.  We have time.  There is no line for security and we even have time to buy something to eat (well, Jacob takes this time to use the bathroom AGAIN).  I get some green machine drink and Kathy and I arrive just as they ask families with babies to board.  We made it.

Hazel Meets a Doorknob...

 

P.S. The really sad thing is everyone else was on the other side of the house. So we know it was self-inflicted. Poor accident-prone girl.

Tom as a baby

I found some more pics of Tommy.  He was sitting up at 6 mon., in a walker at 4 mon, and could hold a rattle at 3 1/2 months.  His closeup is still in 1989, so probably about 3-4 months old. Not many newborn. I was healing from my 4th C-section, you know.  That will be my excuse.

The first one is Jacob,
I still haven't found any close ups of Tommy.  I know they are somewhere. They both look similar, and they do resemble Beckham.

Beckham Henry Wall

Historical Tales of Jarek

I thought I would jot down two neat stories about Jarek on here just to make sure they are documented somewhere.  All of our kids are awesome, but this week I heard two stories about Jarek that I wanted to write down.

The first came while up at the church.  One of the counselors in the bishopric stopped Tevia and I and wanted to tell us a story.  He said that at the church he had seen a group of kids following Jarek around.  Jarek was leading them to the family history room and was asking if he could get in in order to get on the computers.  He told us in the end Jarek was told he could not go in without an adult and Jarek asked several adults to go in but couldn't find one.  So they weren't able to go in.  The counselor was curious why Jarek wanted to get in on the computers, so he pulled him aside and asked him what he was going to have all the boys do while in there.  "I was going to have them all sign up to do indexing" was Jarek's reply.  The counselor was taken aback and was so impressed. 

The second was relayed about a situation during mutual.  Apparently two kids (much older than Jarek) were getting angry and were about to fight.  Jarek - the shortest young man in the ward - stood between the boys and tried to stop them from fighting.  He was able to stop the fight.  When Tevia asked him about the courage it took to do that, he mentioned that any bodily harm was worth not having people fight.

I have been inspired to me more brave, more caring, and more devoted.

Pictures, Pictures, Who wants to see some pictures?

Some of Zizah's Latest:

And so the other two can't accuse me of playing favorites, here's one of each of them. :)

Good People

I posted this on Cox&Co but thought I would post on the Wall family blog too. Great story. =)

Yesterday, during half time of the BYU-Oregon game, Bret, Speed, and I went to go get some pizza. I grabbed my wallet and before putting Speed into the car, I placed my wallet on the roof. This act was stupidly forgotten, as we drove away with it still up there. How could I do this... AGAIN!!!! (Literally only months ago, I did the SAME thing with running shoes before we went hiking!... they are forever gone)

I didn't realize my mistake until we got to the pizza place and I went to get my wallet to give Bret some cash. Though, obviously it was no where to be found. It was then that I remembered, oh my goodness, I had left it on the roof!

We went back to Bret's and I immediately left with Lexi to retrace our steps. But unfortunately, it was no where to be found. This put a huge dark cloud over me as EVERYTHING was in this thing! It had numerous credit cards, cash (which I actually never have!) my check book, my license, all my store cards, my recommend, insurance cards, and a bunch of receipts that I needed!  And I loved the wallet itself! Oh boy!

To top it off BYU had a terrible (okay.... more like heart wrenching) 4th quarter and lost the game. Well we went home and while Lexi took a late afternoon nap, I made like 10 phone calls, cancelling all the cards and ordering new ones and honestly just when I finished....

Two guys on motorcycles pulled up outside our house. And seconds later, the doorbell rang. I was a bit hesitant as Jimmy wasn't home but I saw my lovely green wallet in the guy's hand through the peep hole!!!!!

Oh my goodness! I opened the door and there it was! In the hands of a bald, tattooed, leather wearing guy! And he said, "It's all there". I wish I would have had something to give him! I thanked him a hundred times and told him he was such a miracle. He really was. This is definite proof that there are still lots of good people out there who want to do the right thing.

He had come all the way to my house from 39th avenue because the only thing indicating how to reach me was my address on my license. What a great person. And honest! Everything was in there! Definitely made my whole week!

The world is still full of wonderful people and it makes me so happy and grateful.

Photo Bomb

Hazel:


Speed:


Zizah:

Olympics - Sports - My emotional dependence

I haven't posted anything in a while as it has been a crazy summer, but things finally seem to be slowing down a little and I wanted to catch up on some things.  Besides the wonderful trip (nee adventure) to Lake Powell, we also had the 2012 Olympics this summer.  I believe I have posted about my love for the Olympics and as usual I was glued to the TV for many hours during the Olympics. 

I get so emotional watching them.  I cheer for the Americans, of course, but I also love to cheer for underdogs or hear their backstories.  I love to see the many emotions, from elation to devastation.  I bite my nails watching the Fab Five in gymnastics.  I cry when the one girl doesn't make it to the all-around finals.  I am overcome when they win the team gold.  Shocked when Maroney falls on her vault. 

Sports are such an interesting part of our global culture.  I say global because almost all cultures have sports they follow, and the emotions invested in them amaze me.  They can be good and bad.  People can get too involved and have them ruin their lives.  People have been known to fight and worse when their team loses or their player does poorly. 

Even just this weekend when BYU lost to the Utes it was overwhelming.  The emotions were so up and down.  Disappointed, disgust, disbelief, hope, joy, amazed, shocked, scared, upset.  In three hours I felt all of these emotions - and not just a little bit.  These were strong emotions.  I left the game almost paralyzed.  It was all I could think about.  And I'm just a fan.  How do the players feel? 

Yesterday in the Cardinals NFL game a rookie fumbled at the end and possibly gave the game away.  The camera panned on him and he looked distraught.  I honestly thought he was going to cry.  The pressure must have been unbearable.  In the end they still won and I am sure he was the happiest on the team.  I get upset when someone in my company screws up - not even me, but someone else that doesn't even report into me - and it can ruin my day (yes, I need to work on this).

But through it all we continue to watch and imbibe sports.  And when our team wins, we are overjoyed.  It is like a drug.  It amazes me.  I know some people don't like sports for these exact reasons.  I've even had people in the church who believe sports are bad - or even evil.  But like most things, I think sports can be good and can be bad.  For me, they are more positive than negative.  They bring me a sense of hope and thrill that few other things can. 

Just today, playing basketball this morning, I had one of those days.  One game we played I didn't miss one shot.  We play to 15 by 2s and 3s.  I took 5 shots, all 3 pointers, and made each one.  People were yelling and amazed.  I was dumbfounded.  It felt great and made a Monday morning so much better.  But it was a fluke.  That rarely happens.  But that is why sports are great.  You - or your team - can only try your hardest.  Some days things will work out.  Other days they will not.  And that is a lot like life.  Some days we feel like the Chicago Bulls of the 90s.  And other days we feel like the Cleveland Browns for the past decade.  But we keep going - and so do they. 

Because...

You gotta have blue hair, man. :-)

GO COUGARS!!!

Lake Powell 2012

Last week I turned 29! And right before that fulfilled one of my largest goals. A huge family trip to Lake Powell. I had a most extraordinary time and the trip blew away all my expectations. My most vivid vacation memories come from Lake Powell as a kid and now so do my adult memories.

 I was so proud of everyone in our family for putting up with my crap and actually showing up. I was even more proud when despite so many small issues creeping up, everyone seemed to just focus on the positive. The trip wasn't perfect and we could definitely do much better, but as a first try it was easily my favorite family adventure ever. Also my kids were exposed to the most fun they have probably ever had.

 I have compiled a video and slideshow of the best of the trip. It got a little bloated but had to be chopped up to fit in the 15 minute YouTube slot. Therefore the transitions and such got a little crazy at the end. I am usually more picky, but at 1.2 GB and with a crazy long 45 minute render (even for my computers) I decided this last version was not too shabby. Thank you for coming to Powell with us and I hope you enjoy it.

 My YouTube account has exceeded the free range so you will probably need to close an AD or two. Also, be sure to upgrade the quality if you don't want the slideshow blurry. That is all :-)

 

Lake Powell - 2012 - Bret's Story

Lake Powell is one of the most beautiful and amazing lakes in our nation.  It also holds some good memories from quite a few years ago as we went once or twice with my aunt Patty and her family (and mine) on their houseboat.  I was an adult at the time and the memories were of water skiing, cliff jumping, getting very tan, sleeping on the roof of the houseboat, watching satellites and shooting stars, and the warm waters of Lake Powell. 

Jacob (Wall) had the idea to relive some of the memories and so last year he decided to put together a plan to rent a houseboat and invited many of us to accompany him and his family.  A couple of weeks ago the time finally came to pass for us to go.  It took a lot of preparation and money on his part, and I thank him and Cari for all they did.  The trip, in my mind, was a complete success.

We left Phoenix on Tuesday morning in our van with Hazel added to our usual passengers.  The ride went well as we were in no hurry and we stopped briefly in Flagstaff for gas and treats.  We then met up with Cari and Kathy (Cox) in Page at the McDonalds as we waited for Jacob and my father to have the houseboat ready for us to board in Wahweap Marina.  After a Hot'n Spicy chicken sandwich we drove to the marina and within minutes we had our stuff packed on the boat and were headed out on the lake.  This was a stark contrast to years before when sometimes this phase was long and hot.  The marina made this easy and we were off. 

Tevia, my dad, Tevia, and Malik went in the speed boat while the rest of us took to the houseboat.  Jake and I had decided to go a certain route to Padre Bay, which looked great according to Google Maps and the one map we had.  But apparently those maps were out of date and due to the lower water we had to go the long way.  This was okay as the way through the Narrows was gorgeous; it just took much longer.  I stayed on top of the houseboat for much of the trip adding navigation advice and using the binoculars to see the red rock and other boats.  It took us some time to finally arrive in Padre Bay and we were able to find the other boat (which had gone ahead to scout a spot).  They found a great spot right in front of Gunsight Butte. We beached the houseboat and began the next few days in the shadow of this beautiful landmark.

My memories of the first evening there are of Tevia and I cooking (we usted the BBQ to do chicken, which came out great).  I also was able to go out and remembered how to get up on a wakeboard (it had been years).  But my favorite memory of that first night was all of us sitting on the top of the houseboat that first night and looking at the stars.  I had my laser pointer and my Google Sky app which helped us locate constellations and other objects like the Andromeda galaxy.  It was amazingly beautiful and we saw many satellites and shooting stars as well.  We even saw the international space station go across the sky, which was so bright in this wilderness it was impossible not to think it was some UFO.  I didn't sleep much the first night (rarely do on any camping trip), but the night was cool and the moon bright (after most of us were asleep and after looking at the stars). 

The rest of the trip, my highlights were:

- Wakeboarding several times and learning how to do a 180 and just enjoying the glass that we had several times per day
- Taking a trip into Antelope Point marina to get gas and some other things.  We did this on Thursday (Jacob, Tevia, Enok, and Malik) and we got a nice lime popsicle and a big cup of orange soda. 
- Jumping/Diving off the boat (we didn't ever find a great place to cliff jump so this was our thrill for the week)
- Going on hikes with my boys and rolling rocks into the lake as well as skipping rocks
- Going on a long hike with Tevia
- Driving the speed boat several times for people
- Tubing with Tommy while Jacob drove and realizing how much energy/strength it takes to do this (when going fast)
- Watching the stars every night
- Having Jimmy arrive for the brief day or so he was there

In the end the trip was great.  The weather could not have been better (not too hot, not too cold).  Nobody got hurt or really all that sunburned (only Jimmy and Holly of all of us even got burned at all).  The food and snacks were great.  The boats never broke down. 

On Saturday we packed up and headed out before noon.  The long trip back to the marina went great and my mom and Tevia joined me for much of the trip back on the top of the boat.  Once we docked we were packed in our cars and headed out within an hour or so.  We took Hazel with us again.  We stopped at Sonic for lunch in Page on the way back this time and the drive was great. 

Thank you Jacob for setting all of this up and spending so much of your time on money on some wonderful family memories.  I had a great time.  I'm sure we'll end up there again some time in the next few years. 

My mother

Bernice Margaret Balsom, born 1928.
When she moved into assisted living, she had to get rid of lots of her stuff. She gave me 2 journals. Since I had plenty of time today, I picked them up to read through them. I found them entrancing.
It is funny how little we appreciate our mothers when we are small.
I also noticed how much like her I am.  She was a very grateful person, almost every day she would write one thing she was grateful for, even the smallest things, like that she could still walk, or being able to read.
She loved to learn, and often spoke of the classes she took at the community college when all her friends thought she was too old to go to classes.  She prayed for a soul mate after she was a widow for sometime, and her journals says she was grateful God heard her prayers and that Milan was a  miracle to her in her life.
She had bad days and good days, like us all.  She missed her kids, and grandkids.  She wrote about how she wished she lived by them. She treasured every time she saw me and any of our family.
She loved me. She wrote how wonderful all her children turned out.  What a nice thing to read.  I think we always want to know our mother loves us.
Quote- "I am so happy because I have people who love me".  First page of her journal.
She also mentions God often, and  talks about how she loves to sing in church and pray and how He has always guided her in  her life.

It was a beautiful way to spend some time today.  I am grateful for her.

" A mother is a person who seeing there are only 4 pieces of pie for 5 people, promptly announces she never did care for pie."  I found this quote in her journal.
She really did sacrifice a lot for us kids.

November 9, 1999
"I don't want to die yet.  I love to look at the trees and walk among them. I love to fluff  my pillows on my bed. I love to  make plans to do things.  Life is so full of things to enjoy."

to my children- and  their spouses- I love you all, and always will.  You truly bring me joy.