Where did the last week go?

Days are tumbling over each other right now. I am at the office (again!) going through eight years of accumulation...figuring out what stays and what goes. I need a break.
I've been working a lot of hours, and then doing clean-up at our old office or family stuff every other minute. Fun things too, though. I had the great pleasure of going with Kelly to Mountain
View Elementary and eating lunch last Monday with Alli...and her kindergarten class. Way fun. Then Tuesday, it was our turn to eat with Kimmi and the first grade. Lots and lots of laughter. Then Tuesday night, Kimmi was in a Recycle Program...with lots of singing, speaking parts, etc. (She did the best job, by the way) It's fun to watch Drew and Steph....and remember like it was yesterday when our two oldest were in all kinds of elementary programs...and realize that this is a whole new generation...and we are the grandparents. But we are still kids, aren't we?

Josh left Wednesday evening to go to Florida with the Turner-Ashby Marching Band. So lots of quick preparation, and then sending him off. He had a SUPER time. Disney World, Epcot, performances, time at the hotel...bus rides, etc. Good stuff for him. He is jamming tonight with his buddies. It was fun to see him yesterday and hear all about it.

Thursday evening, I went and watched Kimmi play softball. This is the very first year since 1983 that I haven't had one of my own children playing sports this time of year. How sad. But....how fun to go watch grandkids now! Alli will be starting her season soon. Love it!

Kelly and I spent most of Saturday here at the office. And just went home and crashed Saturday night. Sunday, I taught Young Women, then Kelly had a meeting, then we hurried to Waynesboro for the funeral of Mary Harman. Her husband was our stake president when we moved here. They are wonderful people. I am so glad we went. It was such a powerful and spiritual meeting. She was only in her 50's. What a miraculous woman. President Harman's talk about her and their life together is something I will never forget. I think I'll have to write more about this later. It really did affect me greatly.

More news....Toby was very very sick on Friday evening. Michelle called me about 11:30 p.m. He had the croup cough something awful. She was doing everything she could to make him more comfortable. We talked awhile about what to do....which she was already doing...and I reminded her that if he has trouble breathing....to get him in. Which she already knew...and was planning to do if that happened. Well....it happened. About 5:00 a.m. she called and said that she and Andrew were taking him to the Emergency Room. I finally talked with her about 7:30 again...and he had been given a breathing treatment and a shot of steroids. He had rested awhile...but now was getting worse again. He also had a high fever. I talked with her again a few hours later...and they had x-rayed his chest, given him another breathing treatment, and observed him for awhile. Then she took him to their pediatrician, who has always been so good with Toby. Michelle was bushed, but grateful that he had received the treatment he needed. After some more rough time at home, he is finally getting better. It's so awful when your little one is sick. Andrew has been helping with the house and Toby, and has made sure Michelle got a little rest when she could. But Michelle is in the Relief Society Presidency down there..and they had a huge ward Relief Society sewing day on Saturday. She had lots to do to help with that. They made 54 baby quilts that day alone for charity....and had a big wonderful lunch together. Sounded so put together and so fun. Wish I could have been there.

Jessie has been doing what she can with Noah clinging to her all the time. She says she thinks he must know she is expecting a baby. If she gets up and walks a few steps....Noah is hanging on to her legs and crying for her to pick him up. When she plays with him he wants to be ON her lap. If she tries to cook, or fold clothes, he is fussing for her to hold him. So....Saturday, Ammon let her sleep in and she was able to get some things done she had been wanting to do. Cleaning, organizing, just being by herself for a few hours. When the boys got home, they had something to eat, and Noah went down for a long nap. So...Jessie got some time on Saturday. Yay for her. I wish I could go help her organize the mountain of scrapbook supplies she bought at a great deal. That would be fun. It's going to be interesting to watch Noah "welcome" his new baby brother. After a little adjustment....I bet he will be a GREAT big brother.

Laurie got home from Florida on Thursday night. She had been there for nine days with the patient she does private duty for. She was anxious to get home to Jeremy. He was waiting for her at the airport with flowers. Awww. How sweet. I just talked with Jeremy and he said Laurie peeled quite badly after her Florida sunburn. But she is a "beach girl"....all the way. They are moving into a cute townhouse in Hilliard on June 1st. Exciting.

Meggie just called. Big time stress these last few days of finals...and papers being due....and closing up things there at BYU. I'm sending good thoughts and being her cheerleader as she puts in a couple almost all-nighters. She has a ride from Provo to Salt Lake City for her flight Thursday night. She flies all night....with a layover at JFK in New York...then lands in Richmond at 9:40 a.m. Can't wait to see her. We are all excited. Even the dogs. :)

Kelly and I are putting one foot in front of the other...and doing the best we can. It seems like uphill sometimes...but we hold on to each other and keep climbing. I'm glad I'm making the journey with him.

Taking a Break...

Sitting here at our office...the one we've had for almost eight years....the one that seems kind of like an extension of our home....and one filled with memories.....and trying to purge things, pack things, and decipher "trash from treasure". What exactly might we need to keep? It's not a fun job. So...what am I doing? Yep...taking a break, that's what.

Just read some book reviews on barnesandnoble.com, also read about ten blogs, cruised through the news websites...and now I should be getting back to business. An hour break is plenty long enough, don't you think? Nope? ok....I'll stretch it out a bit longer.

Monday and Tuesday are going to be fun...Kelly and I get to go eat lunch with our granddaughters at their elementary school. We eat with Alli (kindergarten) on Monday, and Kimmi (first grade) on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to that. Yum...school food. ;)

Last night, Josh had Zach, Bryan and Chad over for the evening. They jammed downstairs awhile, and played outside. Sloopy was in heaven with four boys around. We cooked hamburgers and hotdogs, chips and dip, and strawberry shortcake. Yum! It ended up that two of them spent the night, then Zach and Josh did a little weeding today. Then they all met up again, and jammed some more. They are sounding good! Tonight Josh is at Zach's...and spending the night. They are almost inseparable. If they are allowed to be together...they are.

But Zach is a great kid...when they are together, they just make me laugh. They talk in crazy accents, they do these weird walks, and they can play hacky-sack forever.

It was downright beautiful here yesterday and today. Our daffodils are so pretty. Blossoms on many of the trees, and the grass is getting so green. I love seeing everything coming to life. This will be a fun summer. I'm going to visit Michelle and Andrew and Toby in Georgia, visit Jessie and Ammon and Noah in North Carolina, I'm going to Ohio to visit Laurie and Jeremy and my folks and family, Drew and his family will be here with us, and Josh and his buddies will be around, and Meggie will be home! Fun, fun! Busy.....but I wouldn't have it any other way.

There have been lots of changes in my life lately. I'm thinking there will be a few more here soon. Just closing up this office seems to be a big change. Sometimes.....changing is hard. Growing pains, perhaps? Because we can't grow and stay the same. So I keep asking ..."What am I to learn and become by going through this? By "growing" through this?" I'll get back to you on that.

Until next time....green lights and blue skies.

Up in Smoke

Wednesday I was anxious to get home for a few minutes after work, to see Josh and do a few things before I went to church for a meeting. It had been a rough day and I was worn out. As I got close to our old office on Rt 42, Kelly called me on my cell phone and told me that Dave's Recycling was on fire. He had just passed it, and no trucks or anything were there yet. Then I saw the smoke....then I heard the sirens.....one after another. Fire trucks, fire chief vehicles, police cars, etc. were passing us with their sirens wailing. When I got up near the fire, I realized that they were probably not going to let me pass and turn onto Erickson to go home. Traffic stopped on the road as they began to block off traffic. I pulled into the Food Lion/CVS parking lot to wait until I could turn around and go the other direction.

Soon, everyone in Harrisonburg seemed to have the same idea. Cars were pulling in, and people were getting out of their cars to look. Then they began pouring out of the stores and Arby's to join the crowd. At that point, the buildings were still intact. But the flames were raging. Seemed totally out of control. Then the fire turned green. (aluminum burning?) Then the smoke turned black. We began seeing trucks from Broadway, McGaheysville, Grottoes, etc. They seemed to keep coming.

I saw Billy Holloway and Mark Leavitt standing and watching the fire. They saw me and came over and we stood there and couldn't believe how fast and furious it was. The flames seemed to be nearing the buildings on our side of the fence. A truck came barrelling through the parking lot and pulled over. Soon the crane was up, and one very brave fireman, with an oxygen tank on, began spraying down the building that wasn't on fire, then directly on the fire. Water was shooting from everywhere...from different sides of the fire, wherever the trucks could get close enough. The fire spread quickly and soon the recycling center was diminished to a few standing steel beams.

Everyone who was watching talked with one another about what they had seen. People acted like we were all family. Interesting phenomenom. Many stood on their cars to take videos/pictures. I stood there mesmerized for over an hour, praying everyone was OK, and grateful for those men and women dedicated to helping us in times of trouble. This pic was taken with my phone about 45 minutes after I had first seen the fire.

It was a common sight to see someone get out of their car with fire gear on, and see that they were volunteer firemen and women....coming from many areas to help. Employees came from Food Lion with drinking water to aid those who were helping in any way.

Wow.

I heard tonight that no injuries were reported. Yay! After I left the church at 8:45 tonight, there was still smoke in the air at church, and when I went near the scene, there were still several cranes up with firemen trying to contain the fire, and there were probably 15-20 fire trucks still at the scene. Of course, with my background, I am hoping they had adequate insurance.
This is a family-owned business, and their home is right in the front of the property. Tonight it seems like the home is fine, but several buildings burnt to the ground.

A few days ago, we took some files from our office to the recycling center to have them shredded, for privacy purposes, since they contained some personal information about past customers. I guess I can be confident they are destroyed, huh?

Yep...it was a hot time in the ole' town tonight.

A voice from the dust....

No...I'm not dead. And even though my last blog was February 7th, two months ago, the day Mitt Romney dropped out of the presidential race, it wasn't like "well, he's out....and so am I."

I cracked up when I looked at my blog and it seemed like that.

I just have been overwhelmed. But I've missed putting a few thoughts down now and then. I think of all I've let go, instead of recording it, over the last while. Oh well, today is another day. I have been diligent in reading all of your blogs, though, and thanks for not being a schmuck like me and drying up. I've enjoyed the news and the smiles.

Lots of things have been going on in my life. Big news......Kelly is now altogether out of the Property and Casualty insurance business and is concentrating on Life & Annuities with American General. He loves it. I think it has been like taking a weight off of him to not be in charge of his own business. I have been taking care of our agency, but about six weeks ago, we sold our accounts to an established agency here in town, and now I am working as an agent for them. It's been an adjustment for me, and lots of details to work out, but over all, I think we made a good move. We still need to close up our office, and hope to have that done by the end of this month. After that, I think I will begin to feel the lighter load of being able to forget about work when I am home. It has been quite a journey.

But.....there IS even bigger news...which I know almost every one of you already know, but I am so happy about it, I'm going to spread the good news once again. I am going to be a Grandma again....and again.....and AGAIN!

Yep...triple the blessings.

Michelle and Jessie are both due on August 16th. AND they are both having boys. So they both will have two little boys to snuggle, play with, laugh with, and love. I am so happy for them both. They are doing great. Ultrasounds look perfect, and "the boys" are already handsome, I'm told. (duh...of course!)

And.....Steph (Drew's wife) is due on October 14th!!! By then, Alli will be six years old, and Kimmi almost eight, and they are so excited to be big sisters. Drew and Steph are so thrilled with the news and are more excited each and every time they hear everything is going as it should. We are so happy for them, too. We can't wait to hear what they are having. I hope it is a boy or a girl. :)

Laurie left today to go to Florida. She is flying there with Mary, her patient. Mary has MS, and Laurie is her private duty nurse. Laurie is very caring, and just becomes part of the family when she cares for someone. They are flying down to be with Mary's daughter and granddaughters. Laurie is looking forward to going to the beach (she's definitely a beach girl). They are also going shopping, exploring, and visiting St. Augustine. She'll be gone nine days. I know she and Jeremy will miss each other, but I'm glad she gets this fun little break.

Megan is coming home from BYU in 17 days! It will be great having her home. I miss her a bunch and I'm looking forward to all kinds of fun times with her. She is seriously considering transferring to BYU-Idaho for next year. I am excited for her future. She has finals coming up...so send good thoughts her way!

Josh is growing like a weed. He keeps getting taller, his voice keeps getting lower, and his momma just loves him more each day. He leaves next Wednesday to go to Florida with his marching band. They get to go to DisneyWorld while they are there. They will also perform. He is still a nut for music.....jazz, marching band, playing in his band with his buddies, listening to music, going to concerts, etc.

I am so blessed. My mind is rushing right now with other things I want to write. But...I am simply going to say that I'm glad I've begun again to write a few thoughts down, and that I am blessed greatly, and that I am so grateful for each of you....family and friends...who have seen me through some tough times lately. Hugs for each one of you. You are my treasures.

Peace out.

Sad Day for US...

US presidential candidate and former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) (L) and his wife Ann walk away after he dropped out of the presidential race at the American Conservative Union's 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington February 7, 2008. Romney dropped out of the U.S. presidential race on Thursday, a decision that makes Senator John McCain the all-but-certain nominee of his party. REUTERS/Larry Downing (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (USA)1:31 p.m. ET, 2/7/08

We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet

President Gordon B. Hinckley

June 23, 1910 ~ January 27, 2008

Our dear prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away last night about 7:00 p.m., Mountain Time, in his apartment in Salt Lake City. He was surrounded by family members. He was 97 years old. People all over the world, both members and non-members of our Church, are mourning him today and remembering what a special man he was.

I thought I'd post a few pictures of the different faces of President Hinckley.



Above, he seems to be "knighting" Elder Henry B. Eyring, after Elder Eyring was called to serve in the First Presidency. This just seemed like President Hinckley....always having a good time.



I like this picture of President Hinkley's face....looking forward with confidence and determination.



Moses, Nephi, Joseph Smith....President Hinckley. Prophets of God.


Waving to the congregation. How he loved the children and youth of the Church. They all seemed to "know" their prophet...and love him. My children perked up whenever they saw him, or heard him speak....even when they were small. My daughter-in-law, Steph, called me today to tell me about telling Kimmi and Alli about it this morning. (they are 7 and 5). I guess Kimmi started crying....needed snuggles and comfort, and Alli was concerned. Drew and Steph were great in telling her that it is more happy than sad....but she loved him so. I remember us seeing him at the dedication of the Columbus Temple. It was thrilling for us all. Megan recently got to be with him in the Marriott Center at BYU, and listen to him leave a message for the students. She was so excited. He was so loved. What an ambassador for our Savior, Jesus Christ.



After General Conference, with his wonderful smile, waving his cane (which seemed to be its main purpose) and being followed by President Monson....a shadow of what would be.




This picture just moves me. A dad...surrounded by his loving children, at the funeral of his wife....their dear mother. He often talked of his devotion and love for Marjorie and seeing them together was precious.

Even knowing he would be with her, the separation was so painful. How difficult the last almost 4 years must have been for him without her. They were married in 1937. And now....can you imagine their sweet reunion?

I am simply overjoyed for him at this thought.


I take a moment to read in a little book called "Stand a Little Taller" almost every day. Each day there is a scripture and some words from President Hinckley.

Today's entry reads:

"Great is your power for good. Marvelous are your talents and devotion. Tremendous is your faith and your love for the Lord, for His work, and for His sons and daughters. Continue to live the gospel. Magnify it before all of your associates. Your good works will carry more weight than any words you might speak."

(That last line....THAT was President Hinckley)

Megan was the first to call me...from BYU. Cell phone lines were jammed in Provo and SLC with everyone calling after it came across the local news. She used her roommate's phone. Shane texted me and called me from Salt Lake City. Kelly, Josh and I stopped and offered a prayer. It was deeply felt that all was well....peacefulness settled in.

Throughout the next couple of hours, I spoke to each of my children, with them calling me or me calling them. I also spoke with my mom. We all felt the same thing....gratefulness, peace and the knowledge that we were blessed by having him so long.

Such love....we shall miss you, President Hinckley.

Thank you ...for your dedication, for your work, for your life.

And now.....the work continues.....because the Lord is in charge.

Did YOU Grow up in the 80's????

I was reading my friend Stephanie's blog recently. She is the daughter of one of my closest friends....yes, a DEB......and Stephanie and her sister Emily are the same age as my two oldest, Drew and Michelle. They kind of grew up together.
This list made me crack up.....I remember them doing these things!!!
I am really curious, though...what happened to #20????? What do YOU think it was? Comment and try to fill me in, if you can! Thanks, Steph...these are great!

You Know You Grew Up In the 80's if:
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton.
3. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom.
4. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock".
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
9. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House).
10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
11. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON - WAX OFF"
12. You wanted to be a Goonie.
13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe).
14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
18. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?".
23. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up".
24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB".
31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
33. You just sang those words to yourself.
34. You still sing "We are the World"
35. You tight rolled your jeans.
36. You owned a bannana clip.
37. You remember "Where's the Beef?".
38. You used to (and probably still do)say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?".
39. You're still singing "Shot Through the Heart" in your head, aren't you!