March recap

March has gone quickly for me.  I asked Mr. Carrigan if it had for him and he said, emphatically "NO-I need a vacation!"   We better get one of those quickly.

We have been doing normal everyday things around here:

*Ashley was here for her Spring break. She spent a minute or two with us!
*Baseball practice and games for Mitch.  He is playing first base.
*Piano practice and lessons for Emily.  She is playing in the school talent show Friday.
*Lego building and then some more Lego building for Justin!
*Work, Church calling and neck therapy for Dave--he really does need a vacation!
*Laundry, Crossfit, groceries, dinner, taxi driving and trying to figure out which pile to dig into first for me!

We had an eventful St. Patric'ks Day!  The little naughty leprechaun came to our house for the very first time!  Justin was so very excited!  He spent an hour building a trap so he could try and catch him.  He woke up to stickers on his face, gold coins and treats! 
(he had everything gone before I woke up with a camera!)

While Ashley was here for her Spring Break she went to church with us.  Dave got home early from all his meetings so he came over to Sacrament meeting.  It was nice to have my entire family around me for church!   I know that there are new people that have moved in that don't know about Dave's calling in the YSA stake and think that I am a single Mom!

I am always moving-even if my house doesn't show it!!!  Life is busy but life is mostly good.

An Amazing Woman

My friend Sherie Wright passed away Saturday after a short but difficult battle with cancer.  Sherie was one of those people that had amazing oozing out of every fiber of her being.  She was not an amazing crafter or scrapbooker, she was a normal housekeeper.  Where Sherie's talents were was in her ability to love.

If you knew Sherie you knew that she cared about you.  She volunteered for years at the high school helping the seniors with applications for college.  She was there almost as much as a teacher.  I am sure that many students actually thought that she was a counselor.  My own daughter Ashley was helped greatly.

Sherie also had the strongest testimony of our Savior.  When she walked into a room that room was brightened by the Spirit that Sherie was able to bring with her.  She loved the Savior and was so willing to share that love with others. 

Sherie will be missed.  She was far too young to go.  I worry about her sweet husband Kelley and about her seventh son Tim who is serving a mission in Spain.  They will be in our prayers for a very long time.

Fifteen years ago I had a three month old baby.  My sister in law Christine had a six week old baby.  Christine had emergency tonsillitis surgery on Christmas Eve.  Baby Whitney had never had a bottle, so I nursed both babies for four days.  It was a bit rough.  Dave and I just took turns holding which ever baby I wasn't nursing.  Ashley(3) and Jess(5) basically just took care of themselves.  I am not sure we ever really fixed them food!  We survived Christmas day and then the next few days. 

Sherie was Christine's visiting teacher.  When Sherie heard Christine was sick she called to see how she could help her.  Christine wasn't going anywhere for a few days and no one was in her home.  At this point Sherie realized that it was me who could use some help.  She had her daughter Sara come over with strict instructions to "just do what needs done."   She cleaned up a terribly messy kitchen, vacuumed and held babies so I could shower.   I have never forgotten this sweet gesture from Sherie.  It was a simple thing but it meant a lot to me.  Those babies are both almost sixteen now!!

Death is one of the great struggles of this life.  Those left behind are so desperately saddened by the loss. 

Sherie affected all those she came into contact with for good.  She is a role model for all of us to emulate.

Happy Birthday-Dad!

Today would have been my Dad's 71st birthday.  Not a day goes by that I don't miss him.  Not a day goes by that I don't wonder what he would think of my life and choices.

I hope he is proud of me for trying to be a decent Mom.  Proud of me for finishing college.  Proud of me for staying married-for choosing a really great man. Proud of me for being a survivor, not a victim.

I am grateful for the 19 years I got to have him in my life.  I am glad that I got to go fishing, rock-hunting, horseback riding(even if they always ran away with me!) and all the many other ordinary things that made up our lives.  I am better because he was part of my life.

Sunday Morning

    We have a late starting church service this year.  It doesn't begin until 1:00-lasting until 4:00.  I have often said I prefer early church.  I get to have a nap!  When church is over at 4:00 there is no nap!  However, I am starting to really enjoy the calm, nothingness of our Sunday mornings.  Sweet SugarDaddy has to leave super early for his church responsibilities with the Young Single Adults.  He is gone by 6:30am.

     The calm of Sunday morning is lovely.  I actually sleep in, which for me is so amazing.  My kids sleep till they don't want to sleep anymore.  That actually means that the little man Justin is the first one up.  I hear him.  He goes in the living room and pulls out his legos and starts to build.  He is such a good little builder.  He occasionally turns on a cartoon.  I get up awhile after him and start to putter around in my robe.  I unload the dishwasher and generally reload it!(those dishes are always there!) I pick a few things up, move a few things around, put a roast in the crock pot for supper. 

  At some point Miss Emily appears. Even later Mitch arises.  He is often showered and ready to go help with his church responsibilities.  No fuss, no yelling, just doing what is expected. Such a blessing.

    I thought that I would really dislike having later church time.  I am beginning to really love it.  There are elements that I miss.  Sunday afternoon naps and a long afternoon to visit with friends or family. 

    For now I am just going to enjoy the quiet and calm.

Passing of Time

(Warning-Mom-you will cry when you read this. Get a tissue or skip it)

   Back in February we had a dance recital for Miss Emily. It was on Saturday. We did this and that before we needed to have her to Layton. We watched the entire recital(I actually fell asleep during some of it!

   We went home and then just did normal everyday Saturday things. Laundry, dishes, tinkering. It was a pretty average, uneventful Saturday.

   Sunday morning I startled awake realizing that the date for this Sunday morning was February 12th. That means that the day before was February 11th.

   Twenty four years ago on February 11th my Dad tragically took his own life. Life for our family has been permanently altered and sent on a different path than it was on before.

   I remember thinking that I would never ever have a year that I wouldn't think about my Dad's death on the day he died. I would always remember and always call my Mom.

   On this February 11th day, twenty four years later I forgot.

   At first realization I was shocked and saddened that I had forgotten. Then a feeling came over me that I am grateful for. I had the strongest feeling that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. Living my life. Watching my daughter dance. Making lunch, dinner and doing dishes. I had a very, very ordinary day.

   I don't think that a day has ever passed that I don't think of my Dad. I have pictures of him in my house. I see things while driving that remind me of him. I say things that I learned from him. However, these things are almost always about his LIFE not his death.

   I think that my Dad would be glad that I had this day. That I have been able to have a life, a good life. I am not healed from his death, but the scab has healed nicely. It rarely bleeds anymore. Even more rarely is the scab ripped off and left raw and gapping. I am grateful for this, it is hard to LIVE when one is raw and bleeding all the time.

   I decided that perhaps the lesson that I learned from February 11, 2012 is that I want to remember my Dad for his life not his tragic death. I want to celebrate all the wonderful, ordinary days that I got to spend with my Dad.

   Those are the blessings.

Pantry update!

The pantry is coming along! Crazy that it is taking me weeks to finish it!

I emptied out one side of the floor and three corners-pulling out of those spots anything that is not supposed to live in the pantry. Once again by pulling out that few of spaces, my large dining table was completely covered!

What did I find? Leftover Christmas cards for the last two years, sewing fabric supplies from two Christmases ago. A pair of Levi's, a pair of men's slacks, enough craft supplies - ribbon, glue, etc. to fill a basket and three large bags of flour!

The flour is a funny story. Before Christmas, sweet hubby wanted to make G. Grandma's shortbread. I told him we didn't have any flour. I went to the store and bought flour. He went to make the shortbread and we discovered we had flour but no sugar. We borrowed sugar. After Christmas I went to the store. I remembered that we needed FLOUR and bought some. I came home to realize again that it was sugar I needed! So I have two huge bags of flour !!! I did finally get sugar! I do not however need 50 pounds of flour in my pantry! I have a food storage room!

I stopped pulling things out when the table was full! I am happy to report that I have now put away, thrown away or given away everything from the table!!

All this mess and I haven't even touched the food part of the pantry!!!