GREAT Grandma

Once in a while you meet someone who is great in every sense of the word. My grandma was that person.

Today the world is a sadder place because her spirit is no longer in it. I think the world knows it.

Here are a few reasons my grandma was great:
1-She was clean. Every thing about her was clean. I remember many times going to her home to spend the night. We couldn't eat until EVERYTHING in the house was cleaned. We vacuumed, swept, made the beds, put everything away--all before we could choose what we wanted for breakfast.
2-She let us choose our own breakfast when we stayed with her. That might not be something to many people, but it meant everything to me. I was important to her.
3-She always had cool stuff in her purse at church and never got after us to be more quiet with it.
4-She loved her grandkids. She held the two newest at Christmas party just last Saturday. She knew all of her grandkid's names. No small feat, there are a LOT of them. She knew where they were in life. She could tell you what one of the little ones did in a school play.
5-She could cook. When my kids were little, she called her "the grandma who cooks good." She could make something delicious out of anything.
6-She liked her house clean, but would move the kitchen table into the front room when a crowd gathered--and she didn't worry about stuff getting on the carpet.
7-She opened her doors to everyone. Everyone felt welcomed in her house.
9-She brought me birthday treats every year I have taught. The last couple of years she brought packaged yummies, but before that she made cookies.
10-She was forgiving.
11-She was an example of everything that is good in this world. She showed faith, she loved, she was kind, she was patient.
12-She has taught me that you can do things that are uncomfortable, you just keep doing them, then they are easier.
13-She showed me how to serve, and that you are never too old to help others. I remember that grandpa told the Bishop that grandma was getting old and needed a break from taking meals into the homes of the 'sick and afflicted.' The Bishop replied that someone needed to help her pass the sign up sheet past her when it came around. That would help he said.
14-She taught me to pray. She often asked me if I did remember to pray. She often told me that I was in her prayers.

She has been so lonely for my grandpa who passed away last January. Living without him has been so hard for her. The hardest thing she has ever had to endure. But she did endure, and well. Today when he came for her, she went without hesitation.

Vera Oram was a great-grandma, long before I ever had my first baby. More than that, she was a great person. I will miss her tremendously.

A Little Holiday Treat for You!

This has been getting around facebook. It brings me to tears.





And he shall reign forever and ever.

King of Kings...Lord of Lords...

Hallelujah.



(Merry Christmas)

Its snowing

I just wonder how long it would take for the bottom of my computer screen to get an inch of snow if I didn't scroll up. Its like the toostie pop question. Who has time to find out....still....I wonder.


Thank you for hanging around for that little bit of weirdness.


I actually wrote a whole paragraph, but erased it because it gave an insight into my brain that I try to keep hidden. I wonder why I feel the need to explain that I deleted text. I think I need counseling. Please refer to the second paragraph.

Just a couple of the things I am thankful for....

Little baby Lincoln was born October 28. He has a sweet personality and we have waited for him for a while. Our family is so happy to have this new little person in it.

We also just got a new little grandbaby girl. Her name is Syndee Faye for two of her grandmas. She is so cuddly and smells so good. She has already produced her first smile. We are so richly blessed to have her!


I am, of course, also thankful for the rest of my family. I love them all dearly. I would be lost without my handsome hubby.
I feel so fortunate to have many dear, good friends. What a great example you all are to me.
Also, I am blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I am grateful to have been taught all my life by good parents the precepts of the gospel and to have and understanding of the plan of happiness and Christ's loving Atonement.
I am grateful for my body and this beautiful home and world I live in.

Thanksgiving love to all!

More on life:

I didn't actually publish the last "life" post. Kind of personal.

First the sad news. I had a retinal tear in my good eye. It kind of devastated me. The doc thinks it looks good, so I feel a little better about it.

More sad news. I was recently released from my calling in the primary. I haven't ever enjoyed working with the primary kids as much as this little class. I love hose kids. I cried when I told them I was not going to be able to teach them any more, and they did too. My heart really did break.

Good news. I am in young women's again. I have the cute little beehives. I know many of them and I am really excited to go to camp this summer.

On the school front: School was fun today...I asked the kids if they thought being an ant was easy or hard and they responded: Easy, you just have to play in the dirt. Hard, the queen bosses you around. Hard, nothing good to eat. Hard, you are little and some kid can step on you. And (my favorite): Hard, they don't have teachers.

Also on the school front...there was A LOT of crying in my class today. Teachers even came in to see what the commotion was about. The answer: Veterans Day. They were sympathetic to the fact that three people in my family are or will be deployed, and that one of my students had an uncle die four years ago in Iraq. Other students were sad because they have family in various branches of the armed forces. I really have a sweet class.

That is all for now.

October

It is rainy and cold today, but this autumn has been amazingly beautiful! The weather has allowed the trees to come into full color before the rain pushes the leaves off of them. The golds, the reds, and the browns are all so vibrant this year.
Yesterday, on my way to town, I looked over and saw a stand of trees all decked out in their glorious fall colors, and one smaller tree in the middle, still with all of its leaves--and they were bright green. It was striking! I have just been enjoying this season so much.

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Zach and Jessica's new baby Lincoln. He will be born next Friday, I can't wait to see him. Soon after he comes, we will get to meet Syndey Faye, daughter of Kelsey and Steven. After the holidays, we will have one more, brought to us by Becky. She is confident she is having a girl, but the doctor said he would bet a nickle, but not his house that it is a girl. I am just so excited to get some new grandbabies.

Life continues to be fast-paced. I have lots of kids in my class this year, and they really keep me hopping. I love them all, though, and feel so blessed to be their teacher. I also teach the little 5-6 year olds at church. I was recently asked if I like teaching at school AND at primary. Lots of teachers, I am told, say no to callings in primary. There are times when I do want to play with the grownups, but I genuinely love working with the kids. I think they keep me young. Additionally, my patriarchal blessing tells me specifically that I will work with the youth all of my life. I believe I have been blessed with the talents to make me effective as a teacher. Also, I really do love doing it.

Life is changing in so many ways. It won't be long before it is just Mark and I in this big house. I am both happy and sad about that. I miss my children, and the fun times we had when they were growing up, but life is good and I love having the grandkids come over. Also, I look forward to good times with Mark. He is such a good man! We haven't ever had alone time...even our honeymoon was just one night in Pocatello.

I also feel like spiritually things are changing. There is SO MUCH opposition to every good thing. There is so much that is attacking the home and family. All around me I see the effects of promiscuity and porn. I also see how Satan is using apathy to meet his ends. Selfishness and meanness is rampant. Its incredible. I remember thinking in the late 90's that I could not believe that things could get any more wicked. The 90's are so tame compared to now, and I wonder how much worse will it get before it is all over.

I have felt very reflective lately, and felt this was a good place to store my thoughts. Someday I will have this turned into a book. I blog WAY more than I journal.

Overall, life is really good. I feel so blessed. I know where all of my wonderful blessings come from and I am grateful for that knowledge.

A funny from school

Today we learned that caterpillars eat so much in two weeks, that their skin gets tighter and tighter until they shed it. (Interesting...did YOU know that?)

As I was sitting in a small group discussing this fascinating fact, one little girl said, "Did you know that can happen to people too?" I thought, I have been on the earth for 50 years, and no--I didn't know that. She continued, "Well, they don't really shed their skin....






they explode."



So, as I was trying hard not to laugh out loud she says,

"My grandpa just gets bigger and bigger....I am nervous he will explode when I am by him."

(Just think about it. You know you have thought it sometimes at WalMart.)