...more joy!!!!!!

Today we are very joyful!!!!! We are going to be blessed with another lovely daughter-in-law!!!! I don't like using "in-law". I don't feel that way about any of them!! They are ours!!!! Scott and Meg are getting married February 28!!! We could not be happier! Yes! Joy indeed.............

lights in the snow

I hardly know where to begin here...........it has been so long--as you well know! I have thought many times, after an event or thought or experience, that I would share it with you. Then because of one thing or another, the time would pass and something else would happen I would think about sharing, etc., etc., etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one to experience this phenomenon but it's a little disconcerting when it happens to YOU!!! Soooooooo, though I have at least a dozen posts that have floated through my head in all these months, I'm going to jump to right now. And if the situation or desire presents itself to tell you about something in the past, I'll do that.........otherwise, I'll try to stay a little more caught up here.

We are having our January thaw--right now as we speak it is raining!!! There is something almost immoral about rain in January!!!! We have had such a beautiful white winter this year. I've forgotten now when we had our second snow storm..........the first one was absolutely lovely, but didn't stay around nearly long enough, and then it warmed right up again we you would have thought it was August!!!! A friend of mine told me the other day that he had charted the temperature--he has the equipment and the computer program to do it--from 23 December to 23 January. In that time, we had only SIX HOURS above freezing!!!! And for 10 or 12 days straight our "high" was in the upper single digits!! I will confess that I have absolutely loved it!!!! The snow squeaked like any self-respecting snow would, you could taste the frost--we used to call it "tasting the cold" as we would stand on the steps of our little old church building in Marion, and I could make ice lanterns!!! Years ago while sitting with Suzanne--as Suzanne was having an MRI--I read about a man in Alaska who makes ice lanterns every winter. I was fascinated and came home to try it. But it has to be cold. (Well, my sister did freeze some water in a decorative pan in her freezer and put it out for a night--that works too.) And once you get them made, it has to stay cold or.......obviously........they melt. I took a few pictures last night after lighting them. It's kind of hard to see them well. But they are so pretty, and another way to be glad in the middle of January! I love peeking out the window in the middle of the night and seeing their sparkle. I have checked the weather........maybe I will be able to make another one next week! I want to try coloring one............

...privileges and blessings......

Just returned home from voting early. What a wonderful privilege!!!! It never fails to hit me when I stand "in" the voting booth--it was a little different a couple of years ago when we actually went inside a little booth. But it still gives me such a sense of pride and patriotism!!!! How grateful I am for this wonderful country.........

 

And look what came in the mail the other day!!!!! YIPEE!!!!!! I feel so valued and appreciated!!!! Not that it really matters all that much, but it is an added perk I hadn't imagined! I'm so thankful I have a chance to "give back".........though I don't think I will ever be able to give back all that Suzanne required............I know it's not necessary or expected, but I love the feeling and thought of being able to do something for someone else that was so important and appreciated by us. Does that make sense? When I would take Suzanne for infusions, I would sit there and watch the blood drip....and more especially the platelets because when she got low on platelets it was scarier somehow..........and while watching, a feeling of deep gratitude would come over me for those people who were willing to give time and some of themselves for my sweet daughter. I want to give that hope and security--when everything feels so uncertain--to someone else..........I want them to know that someone cares...........someone who's been in that very chair..........

...number 11 is beautiful!!

 Yes! Number 11 grandchild!!! And I was privileged to make another dress........

The "other" grandma made these beautiful little slippers............

 

 We are so thankful for our precious little Hannah!

...giving back...

OH!!!! I had a great day yesterday!! Let me give a little background...........I have wanted to be able to donate blood for a very long time. I think I went once, just after I was married, and my blood count was too low. Then came the years of babies...........and after that I offered. But because of a cold sore, they turned me away. Somewhere in the last 2 to 3 years I tried again. What could stop me now??? Right?? Wrong! My count was again too low. I was quite discouraged. During those years I had taken Suzanne to receive blood and platelet transfusions so many times and had felt a deep gratitude to those people who took their time to give and I felt a real longing to be able to do the same. I knew what it meant to people who needed the help!!! Well............the Red Cross was in Delta yesterday for a blood drive. Roger had an appointment. I've kind of been trying to eat better..........well.........long story short.........I went with Roger and my count was high enough!!!!!! SO!!!! for the first time in my life I was able to give blood!!!!!!! I've been giddy with joy since she told me I could!!! And I asked about donating platelets because I learned with Suzanne that there needs to be a more consistent "flow" of platelets. They don't live as long as red cells............and you can donate platelets more often--every week, they told me!! Soooooooo, that's my desire..........to give "back".........though you know I can't really do that........... it's another "paying it forward" I suppose. Elder Scott taught us in conference last April..........talking about good health practices and personal revelation, but it can be applied here as well........"...we can improve both the quality of our service and our well-being by making careful, appropriate choices." Yes!! we can!!! I'm going to continue to take better care of myself so I can serve better! OH!!! Life is wonderful!!!! isn't it?? And yesterday was capped off with a beautiful night out, sitting outside..........the weather and temperature were perfect...........we watched the nearly full moon  rise over the mountain and then had a wonderful ride home under that same glorious moon. We stopped once.........on one of those dark lonely roads (to change drivers) and it was so still.........it felt like we were the only two in that quiet, semi-darkness, under that sky with only the bright moon and a few brave stars...............there is no way I can do it justice..............truly........a joyful day!!!!

...Joyful praise.....with tears........

OH!!!! I just have to share this with you!!! Let me preface this by telling you that I have been missing Suzanne dreadfully this morning............deep gratitude to a loving neighbor who let me sob out my grief and wet her shoulder as she held me. I am profoundly thankful for her love. So.........to help myself, I've been listening to conference as I've been working on little Hannah's blessing dress. Consider these words..........I'm going to write them in prose so you will not be tempted to pause as we so often do when we read poetry.........and I miss the meaning in the pause.....

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
Join the great throng,
Psaltery, organ, and song, Sounding in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord! Over all things he gloriously reigneth.
Borne as on eagle wings, safely his Saints he sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen how all thou needest hath been granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee.
Surely his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
Who with his love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath breath, join with Abraham's seed to adore him!
Let the "amen" sum all our praises again,
Now as we worship before him.

Doesn't that just make you want to shout "hallelujah"???? and stretch and be better and be able to fall at his feet??? If songs of the righteous are prayers.......................

I wanted to share with you the choir singing this glorious hymn but I don't have the time right now to find it, etc., etc.........It was sung in conference, last April (2012), Sunday morning. Guaranteed to make you rejoice and cry, all at the same time!!!! Love to you all!!!!

...our computer is well again! RAH!!!

Yes...........our poor computer has been fighting all kind of things. Sometimes, even itself!! I am so thankful to have it well again. I'll try to do a quick catch up:
End of May to early June: I went to Needles with Roger and Daniel. Our honey crop was so scary we didn't even extract down there. We just loaded everything up and brought it home--along with more of the bees than we had ever brought to Utah. I had HUGE, unbelievable blocks of uninterrupted time in which to sew! Yes..........I wondered if I might have died and gone to heaven.........but no, Suzanne was not there, so I knew it couldn't be that! In just three days I had finished everything I had taken with me!!! obviously, I didn't know how to plan for all this time! I'll try to get some pictures of the things I accomplished, but if not, at least I will have some kind of a record, right? My dear friend here gathered up some more things for me to do and sent them with Michael so I was able to continue. It was heavenly.............