Willie is 17

Willie turned 17 in February and I felt like he deserved to be bragged about,

just a little bit!

Because I am his mom and it is my prerogative to brag when I want!

 

This kid is amazing.

He is a hard worker.

He has worked, either for the video store, or the pizza place

since he was about 12 years old.

He also does side jobs for people,

doing yard work.

His work ethic is really quite amazing and his zest for life is, well, exhausting!

Exhausting to me that is, because he is in constant movement!

He has such a huge heart and cares so much about others.

Always has.

But sometimes he just goes above and beyond,

and I am humbled by his goodness.

 

Willie was very concerned about my mom after my dad died.

We all were.

But he put his money where his mouth was and truly gave his all for her.

I have no doubt my dad is very proud of him.

He was worried that my mom wouldn't have much for Christmas,

so Christmas eve he went to town and cashed his paycheck,

and spent the money on gifts for his grandma.

He worries about her a lot and tries to get to town to take her to lunch.

At his brother's wedding, when they played the song for the parents and grandparents to dance,

Willie knew that grandpa wouldn't want her to sit out,

so he made her get up and dance with him.

That is who he is.

That is the kind of young man he is.

His heart is so soft, and so kind.

I love him, and am proud to be his mom.

I can't believe he is 17.

The time is going so fast and before long he will take off

and live out his dreams.

I wish I could turn back time...

hold on to the precious moments.

Why do they have to grow up so fast???

 

 

So This Happened In February

So yeah...

This happened!

Crazy last minute decision to marry in February,

instead of in May.

Which is a good thing.

It was just a mad dash to get it all done in time.

We had a great time.

My sister was even able to come from Montana.

It was nice to have something positive to look forward to

and I wish them the very best life together

as husband and wife.

Tanner and Jalene...

Mr. and Mrs.

 

 

Boys Rule

It seems that the boys are pulling way ahead in our family... or continue to keep the comfortable lead.  Jace and Caitlyn found out they are having a boy.  No name yet.  I hear they have girl names.  So, we are excited and waiting to see how amazing this little man will be!!!

Buzzed driving is STILL drunk driving!

Another reason I detest drunk driving.... besides the obvious!  I got one of 'those' phone calls on April 9th.  The ones that you dread, hoping you never get and then praying like crazy that every person you love and cherish are okay and not injured!!!

We had dinner that night, with most of the family here and our missionaries and a friend's son, Arik, that just moved here from Arizona.  Thayne needed something from the shop and I thought we could just run there after everyone left.  But Wyatt, with his brand new learner's permit in his hand, asked, no, he BEGGED to get some night 'minutes' in.  He asked his dad if he could take Josh and run to the shop.  I didn't really want him to go, but mostly for selfish reasons, because Thayne had been really busy and I had several things I wanted to talk to him about, and running to the shop seemed like a nice time to do that.  Next thing I knew, I heard that they were leaving and taking the little kids.  I stopped them and told them I knew that the car seats were not in the car so they better not take the little boys.  The boys wanted to go with them, so they put the car seats in and left.  4 miles to the shop.  That's it.  4 miles there, and 4 miles home.  No problem.  No worries.  We make that trip numerous times a day.  Wyatt is a good driver, I wasn't really worried, yet I felt nervous.  But, I started cleaning the kitchen and didn't think another thing about it until my phone rang and I missed the call trying to get my hands dried.  As I was redialing Wyatt's number, Thayne's phone rang.  And I could tell by his voice that things were NOT okay!

Thayne and a couple of kids left immediately and Arik drove me a couple minutes behind them.  Wyatt had told us that everyone was okay, but that the car was totaled...  but still... my BABIES were in that car!  I NEEDED to see them and know that they were alright. 

We made it to the intersection and see a big, extended cab, older truck.  And my car.  Airbags had deployed.  Kids were out walking around but pretty upset.  Wyatt was in tears, sorry about my car.  I admit seeing my kids were fine, I did look at the car and think.... ARGH!!!!  But that's the after thought, knowing that everyone is just fine AND that it could have all been prevented!  You see, a man didn't just run the stop sign.... he sped up trying to get through it!  An older guy.  Thankfully Wyatt has great instincts and he slowed as much as possible and knew he needed to somehow turn into the wreck so that the damage wouldn't be any worse (to the kids in the car).  The police said if he hadn't done what he did, the man would have t-boned the kids and probably done devastating damage!  He would have hit right where Noah was, and likely the car seat wouldn't have prevented some serious injury.  After impact, Wyatt quickly kicked open the door, ran around to check on the babies, and then ran to check on the man who ran the stop sign.  He knocked on the window and gave the man a 'thumbs up' asking if he was okay.  The guy didn't get out but finally gave him a thumbs up and shook his head yes.  It seems when the police went to talk to him... he lit up a cigarette.  Interesting don't you think?  And then when Thayne went to talk to him, he also lit up another cigarette.  I wondered what in the world would make this man speed up at an intersection like he did, and asked if he was drinking.  The cop said he thought maybe he smelled something but he lit up a smoke and well, the cop didn't do anything.  Until the EMT's got there.  When the EMT checked him out, she came back to the cop and told him he better go check to see how much he had drank because he HAD been drinking.  It kind of bothers me that they didn't do things the right way in the first place, because if it goes to court, just the breathalyzer won't be admissible because they didn't do the field sobriety first!  However he blew just barely under the legal limit.  Which my son in law says they want to lower anyway!  Matt said that in the county he works in, they would have immediately arrested him because running the stop sign AND being barely below the legal limit proves he is impaired!   Not once did he try to check on the little kids, which is very telling to me.  Whether he felt embarrassed or if he was just too buzzed to care, I think it was pretty cowardly to behave that way!  Also, we had to wonder how much he really had to drink, because it is likely that he hadn't registered the actual blood alcohol level! 

Thankfully Arik was able to take the little boys home and got them settled watching a movie.  We had to wait for the EMT's to check Wyatt, Josh and Hyrum, because the airbags deployed and because Hyrum hit his eye pretty good on impact.  They checked out fine... well Hyrum got pretty serious whiplash and over a month later he is barely starting to feel relief, but it could have been SO MUCH WORSE!!!

I was counting my blessings and thanking our guardian angels.  Also, thanking our earthly angels who happened to be there at the exact moment.  Three of our friends who are nurses or work in the hospital were right there, and ran to offer help, but when they saw who it was, they stayed and comforted the kids until we got there.  So many tender mercies and small miracles.  So many blessings!

So what is it going to take to STOP drunk driving???  Why do people continue to do this?  What will be a tough enough consequence that people will just not do this anymore???  How many lives have to be touched by this?  It is bad enough that they get caught once, twice, but three, four and more times... how many times do they drive buzzed or drunk that they do NOT get caught!  Just STOP!!!  Do not let others get behind the wheel when they have been drinking, and for heaven's sake, if you are going to drink, let someone else drive!!!

Do you look away? Or take action?

Yesterday gave me a great opportunity to decide if I will take action, or look away.  I think far too many look away, decide not to get involved, or believe that there isn't anything you can really do to change the situation.  The result of that thinking?  Sometimes nothing.  Sometimes it's true, nothing really changes so everything stays the same... But sometimes it really matters that you stand firm and take action.  Maybe you won't see the results, maybe you will... but at least you know you did something!!!

Kailee and I took the little girls to town to babysit.  We were craving popcorn and hot tamales so we stopped at the theater to grab our treat, and were headed home.  A white jeep was in front of us and right before a stop light I see a woman climb over the seat and open a cooler.  I could not comprehend what in the world I was seeing, and asked Kailee, "ummm... is she naked???".....  She was BUCK NAKED, climbing over the seat, grabbing a beer from the cooler and swaying all over the seat as she tried to climb back.  The driver meanwhile is swaying across the lines, almost into oncoming traffic.  I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that the cars around them HAD to have seen her naked self climbing over the seat.  The windows were not really tinted and there was several vehicles, with children in them.  It was obvious they both had open beer cans in their hand, and that they were both intoxicated.  HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE before people learn to stop drinking and driving????  We just had an accident up the road from us that killed four people, including children, and alcohol was involved!!!  ENOUGH already!!!

Kailee grabbed my phone and called the police.  We continued to follow the jeep.  Naked woman was back and forth trying to get sat back down and they finally pulled into their driveway, under a carport.  Thank heavens for the carport.  An ice cream truck was right on the road by their trailer, with several little kids standing around.   The man got out first, with a beer in his left hand.  Kind of swayed but shut the door and went into the trailer.  The woman sat in the jeep a little longer than him.  When she got out she almost stumbled and fell.... yes STILL naked.  She stumbles to the porch, tries to put her leg over it and kind of flipped over (yes, it was hilarious watching, sorry!) and went into the trailer.  I backed the truck up and sat talking on the phone with the police when the man came out and looked at us.  He then gives me a thumbs up mouthing, "everything ok?".  I gave two thumbs up, with the police on the phone and smiled, thinking it would be way more ok when the cops got there!  Thankful we had popcorn and hot tamales to go with the show!

One officer finally showed up and we told him what was going on.  He told us that it was likely that nothing would be able to be done because they were home and that the people could lie about the whole situation, and we would have to decide if we wanted to do a citizen's arrest to cite them for open container.  I asked if there was anything to be done about her nakedness too! :)   We told him that we are sick and tired of the accidents caused by alcohol and YES we would sign and make a citizen's arrest!  He went to the front door and of course nobody answered.  We told him they went through the back door so he went around to that door.  He came back and told us that she was indeed drunk AND said that her husband was gone, and said that she was the one driving the jeep.  By then a second officer came.  The woman came outside, with what looked like a fresh shiner on her eye.  She sat on the step howling not to ruin their lives.  Begging us not to ruin her life.  I WAS DONE!  I asked her exactly how we would ruin her life?  I asked her if she had any idea how RUINED their life would be if her husband had killed somebody, including her because of his drunk driving.  I asked her how many other lives would be ruined because they were so irresponsible!  I told her that her husband was a coward by hiding and making her take the rap and maybe, just maybe if she tried to get some help maybe she could save herself and the lives of others!  She continued to cry.  The officer that had just showed up seemed to know this woman, and her husband, who happened to be on parole, with two prior felony DUI's!!!  I told the officers that if they looked in the back seat of the van they would see the cooler that she had gotten the bear from.  Sure enough, it was there.  Since the man was on parole and since they had probable cause they looked, and found the man hiding in the shed.  He did not want to cooperate, but ended up failing the field sobriety test, blew over the legal limit and his parole was revoked and he was arrested.   The poor wife was distraught and crying and screaming very loud not to take him away, that it would ruin their lives.  People.... this is his THIRD felony DUI.... ruin YOUR life???  I wanted to scream!!!  He has also, on several occasions, beaten the tar out of this woman, both before and after she married him!  She was crying that she would never see him again.  Kailee and I bust out laughing when the officer said to her,  "You can visit him in prison!!!"  :)   I told the cop I wished there was something to do to help her.  He explained that some people choose not to have help.  Seems this woman has had the opportunity to go to rehab, on the state tab, for months, only to go right back to this man.  Dysfunction at it's finest I suppose!  It made me sad, but it made me MAD!!!  Do NOT risk the lives of others because you choose to feed your addictions!!!!!

What amazed me most was that the officers kept asking us if we were sure we wanted to sign the complaint because you know, it would mean we would have to show up for court.  Did we want to have to do that?  To be inconvenienced???  Oh yes, we are SURE!!!  There are many times doing the RIGHT thing is not convenient, but we really MUST do it anyway!  He won't spend any time in prison.  The system is too backed up and too full.  But I sure hope that some day he learns the damage he has, and could cause if he continues in this way!  Maybe that woman will wake up and realize that she does not deserve to be abused!

The officers were telling us that our county has THE HIGHEST alcohol rates in the state.... above even Vegas!  They have no idea why, but they said that DUI's are happening daily and that we all need to keep a look out AND call in when we see drunk drivers... it might be a child next time!!!  The officer told us that one vagrant had a blood/oxygen level of 6.0.... SIX!!!  Not .06. 0r .6, but 6.0!  They said one time he had a 5.8 and an aneurysm... and lived!  UGH!!!

Stand up!!!  Take action.  If you see a drunk driver... call... wait for the police and make sure you press charges.  It may save a life!!!!

9 Months Ago

 I know I have so much to catch up on, and I am going to get around to it... someday!  Just not today!  I have had the hardest time keeping up with things like blogging, laundry, cleaning kids' bedrooms... little things, like that!!!  Mostly because of what I decided to do 9 months ago!

Nine months.  I was recently thinking about the fact that most of my adult life has been planning for the next nine months.  Most of the time those nine months resulted in counting little fingers and toes.  This time however, I mostly have been concentrating on the toes.  Foot zoning has become my new way of life!!!

I received my first foot zone a few years ago... and I LOVED it.  Then one of my best friend's took the classes and became a foot zoner, and I loved it more.  I wanted to take the classes so bad!!!  So when I got a call from Jeri asking if I could take part in the class they were having in Tooele, Thayne and I had a long talk, and while it would take a huge commitment, he told me I really should just do it!  So I did!

Every month, I packed up far too much stuff and headed to Utah for a weekend of learning amazing things, with amazing women.  I gained 4 new friends that will always mean so much to me.  Who become like family.  Who I am going to miss more than I ever thought possible.  More than that though, I learned a new way of thinking, and a new way of healing.  I feel like I was being spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically fed during our classes. It was incredible.  Our zone instructors, Jeri and Jaclyn, taught me so much.  They are the most wonderful women, who sacrificed so much to teach our classes. They taught me to trust myself and to believe that I could do this.  Nine months later, I am a foot zoner.  I love it.  I love helping others.  I love watching lives change, simply through the feet!  I love getting to be the tool to help others see that they can change their lives by letting go.  I love how it has blessed our family.  That alone would be enough... but it is so much more!!!  I am so excited to see where this will take us!  I am proud of myself, for making it through.  For not giving up when it became hard, and learning for myself that I can do things that I never believed possible.

I am grateful that each and every time I work on some one's feet, I think about the Savior washing the feet of the apostles, and I can see that person through the eyes of Him, and I learn to love others so much more. I did it! 

We were asked to give a final presentation, about anything we wanted.  I decided to do mine on questions.  Change your questions, change your life.  One question is, when you tell your life story, are you the victim, the survivor, or are you the superhero?  Everyone has a story... the women I got to spend the last 9 months with are superheroes!  I am determined to be the superhero when I tell my life story.  This class has given me so much, and I look forward to giving as much back as I possibly can.

Interested in what foot zoning is?  Check out www.wedofeet.net  There is nothing like it!!!

Silly Girls

We have been lucky enough to have sister missionaries for the past year.

They are fun!  And amazing!  And hard workers...

We love having them in our home and they are always make me smile!

 

I had picture frames on the wall for weeks...

okay well,

much longer than weeks.

I keep thinking I will get pictures printed to get them in the frames,

yet, months later,

I still hadn't managed to do it.

 

So imagine my surprise when one day I walk in and look at the wall,

and see that the frames are filled!

Little stinkers,

they came up with this great plan.

Look closely and you will see...

they love playing practical jokes!

Love these girls!

Tender Mercies

 

 

I have talked about the tender mercies that came during the loss of my dad,

but they are such a gift to me and I want to remember always

to thank my Heavenly Father for carrying me through the darkest moments of my life.

 

After Tallin let me know he and my uncle Kelly had found my dad,

I text my brothers, who had finished speaking with the police officer about where everyone else was searching and had just left not long before...

 

I told them Tallin had found my dad

 and to please come back so we could tell mom together.

 

After we shared the news with my mom,

my brothers left again to go out and help the officers bring dad home.

 

I think back on that time and am freshly amazed at how the Lord continued

to bring peace to my heart.

There was a calm that came over me;

  over my mom,

and I knew that nothing about that day was a surprise to our Heavenly Father.

He had been there. 

He knew our need and was there carry us through.

 

A few hours later, my brother text me to let me know they were on their way in,

and that he would call when they had cell service...

but asked if I would look and see if I could find a note, anything,

to let us know what dad was thinking.

 

My dad has always amazed me in his love of the scriptures.

He read them over and over again.

He loved them.  He knew them.

In many letters he sent home while working jobs that made it necessary for him

to be away,

he asked us how we were doing on our scripture study.

He would mention that he had finished the New Testament again,

and was going to read the Old Testament again, this time from back to front...

that he had finished the Book of Mormon again.

Always encouraging us to read the scriptures.

So it was only obvious that I reached for his scriptures,

that sat on the counter, always within his reach.

 

I know that some would call it a coincidence,

a fluke...

just something that happened.

But I don't believe in coincidence,

 and no matter how many times I tried to make it happen again,

it didn't.

 

I picked up his scriptures and his Book of Mormon fell open in my hands.

In the picture above you cannot tell that verse 27 is highlighted in red,

with the last part of the verse underlined.

The red lines caught my eye,

and I took a moment to read it....

and then the tears flowed.

 Enos 1:27 said:

 

 "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer;

for I know that in him I shall rest.

And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality,

and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure,

and he will say unto me:

 Come unto me, ye blessed,

 there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father.

Amen."

 

Underlined in red,

 

And he will say unto me:

Come unto me, ye blessed,,

there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father.

Amen.

 

I am not sure that there was anything that could have brought me more peace

at that very moment...

but I know that I received a message from heaven...

another message from heaven,

because that day,

I had received so many already.

In that moment, with his scriptures in my hand,

I received an assurance that the atonement is real,

and that it is big enough, big enough for our loss,

big enough for our pain,

big enough for all of the hurt,

and I knew then that it was especially in those  moments of our deepest pain,

the Lord is waiting,

ready to reach out and ease our burdens.

He wants to lift us,

carry us,

make our hearts whole,

even when we wonder how that will ever be possible again.

Since it's announced to the world now....

 

Maelynn has something to say!

She actually told me on my birthday

but made me promise to keep the secret

until she was ready to announce it to the world!!

Should happen sometime around October 2nd!

Playing Catch Up January

It seems like there is never enough time to sit down and play catch up here.  I have the desire, but the moment I plan to sit down and type, I either get side tracked or look at the pictures and find myself staring at the computer screen a little lost and no longer motivated to write. 

January was a crazy month.  It was also quite painful and a very emotional month to get through for a number of reasons.  New Year's Eve was quiet, and mostly just sad.  Garrett and Tiffany and the boys came over to play games, but my head and heart wasn't in it and was ready to go to bed long before midnight rolled around. 2014 rolled in, whether we wanted it to or not. 

I had thought many times how tiring the last few years have been and joked that we had 7 years of famine, so it was time for the 7 years of feast.  I was ready for a year free of stress and pain.  I know...it's a lot to ask for but I was hoping!  So, I really shouldn't have been surprised when I was told that my brother Shalum was doing CPR on my mom and the ambulance was on it's way to take her to the hospital.  She had what appeared to be a seizure and her heart had stopped.  I raced to town to meet them at the hospital.  My brother, Shayne, was there when I got there and we waited for the ambulance.  The three of us sat there for hours waiting on the doctors to try to figure out what was going on and wondering if we were going to lose our mom within days of losing dad.  Her heart stopped another time that evening, and we stood outside the room waiting for doctors and nurses to respond to the Code Blue.  It was surreal.  I can tell you that things do not happen in real life like it does on TV.  It seemed like everyone was moving in slow motion and we wondered if they were going to take the Code Blue seriously.  Her heart had stopped again and finally a nurse climbed up on the bed and started doing chest compressions.  Did I mention how surreal that is?  It was a crazy nightmare, but her heart finally started beating again and sometime in the middle of the night they finally moved her to ICU trying to figure out what was going on.  Several days, and not many answers later, she was released but it felt like we were holding our breath wondering when and if it would happen again.  At the time, they thought that her potassium level was really low, and it likely caused most of the problems.  Yet it did happen again.  Her heart stopped briefly and for hours after she just stared.  She couldn't move, she couldn't acknowledge that she was able to hear and understand, yet her eyes followed us, and sometimes, a single tear would roll out of the corner of her eye.  After yet another hospital stay, she was released again with the hopes that at least her physical health was on the mend.  They are still unsure of a diagnosis of dementia, leaning towards probably not.  We seem to live day by day wondering how she is going to go on.  It is hard.  It is heartbreaking and frustrating, and the hardest part is knowing that there is nothing we can do to give her purpose and a desire to move forward.

I also spent time in Logan, Utah.  Our foot zoning classes were held in Logan for the month of January.  It was a combined class of several of the foot zoning classes and I am grateful for the friends I met there.  One in particular was a real blessing for me just when I needed her the most and I will forever be grateful that Heavenly Father sends tender mercies just when we need them the most.  I learned so much and felt like I was so spiritually fed (which happens at every single zoning class but this one was particularly wonderful after the way the month started). 

My sweet Bummy, Hyrum Craig, turned 11 years old.  Not sure how that happened.  11 years old!!!  He's such a blessing.  He reminds me so much of Tallin.  They have very similar personalities.  My darling two year old has started telling us to 'grow up'... and often can be heard calling someone 'donkey'!  Honestly, we have had too much time watching movies because Shrek and Toy Story 1, 2, 3... wait how many Toy Story's are there?  Because we watch them all, constantly, nonstop, and he knows them word for word.  I should feel bad about the bad mom I am becoming, but snuggling up to him is a good benefit of having no energy right now!   Kassi got to go to Hawaii to spend time with her new fiancé (He proposed the day my dad died, one bright spot in the horrible nightmare!), who is a Marine.  I miss her.  She bounces into a room and brings sunshine in the middle of darkness!  No wedding date yet because he is going to be deployed later in the year.  Tallin is engaged, and Tanner and Jalene decided to move their wedding date up several months and will be married in February.  Thayne is staying busy at work.  Jace is also working as a salesman and they are going to be hiring Chris, who will be Jace's brother in law.  He is engaged to Caitlyn's twin sister.  Babies are all growing so fast.  Life doesn't stop, even if we wanted it to!

While this was only a quick look back, and I missed a bunch of the every day little things that really make up the wonder of our lives, it's proof positive that there are going to be really hard things we have to go through, and if we have faith, and hope, and trust that there is something better in store, we can keep moving forward.  Sometimes we are leaning against each other, sometimes the tears come, and we wonder if they will every dry, and sometimes breathing hurts so bad it feels like we  have been sucker punched.  But we are still standing.  Still believing that in the end, this will all be worth it!