Grateful Friday

The sunset last night (photo credit: Adam).

 I am grateful anytime we get to spend time here.  

Yesterday I took a walk with my mom and we gathered rocks that resembled eggs for my next activity day project.  A cat followed along with us and I think it was very confused about what we were up to.

I have a small collection of bricks from the brick house that burned.

A not great quality picture of the house...

Better quality photo, but you can hardly see the house.  I love this picture though.  My grandma peeking around my grandpa's shoulder just delights me.

I have a better picture of the brick house, I just can't find it right now.

I don't know what I plan to do with the (mostly broken) bricks, but I am collecting them all the same.

Yesterday was a time between snow and tall grass that I could find some bricks on the little hill behind the garage.

I over doubled my collection of bricks! (Exciting...when I figure out how to use them.)

I loved that brick house!  And so I love the broken bricks.  The heart wants what the heart wants.

There's an old cook stove on the hill up by where the chicken coop used to be.  I don't know how old it is or anything about it.  I retrieved this door from the ash drawer. 

My mom had us and my uncle Drew over for dinner last night.  She made meatloaf, which I love and my mom's meatloaf is the best meatloaf.  I enjoyed our visit and Drew told us a few stories about his mission and he and my dad told me what they remembered about their grandma.  

I am grateful for family. (And broken bricks.)

Adam and I have enjoyed our time here.  We've worked on a few projects and spent time together and visiting my parents.  A lovely time in the loveliest setting.

A thorn in my side is my family history research.  Matilda Anderson is my great-great grandmother and the details about her life are extremely sketchy.  There is contradictory information on family search with no sources to back any of it up.  I was searching records last night except, I don't know Swedish.  I can make out fanciful cursive in a language I know, but even with google translate, I was lost.  I said to Adam, "Why don't I know Swedish?!?"

He suggested Duo Lingo.

Sorry Matilda.  When I see her someday, I am going to sit her down and have her tell me everything.

We head back to Utah today and I'm looking forward to General Conference.

By the dawn's early light

I just constantly love the view out every window.  

Yesterday Adam cleared the leaves out of the above ditch (that we rebranded as a brook, because it seems prettier).  It makes the water move better and adds the lovely sound of it babbling along.

I painted this end table.

Red.  Was there ever any other choice?

I visited my parents while Adam went to town.  He wanted to get our water tested and of course stop at Home Depot for random things (like a narrow rake to clear leaves out of the ditch/brook).

I embroidered while I was visiting and had a pleasant time.  In the evening, my parents came over for dinner and then we visited and talked about family history.  I showed them some of the things I've learned while poring over memories and they supplemented with their first hand knowledge.

Our biggest accomplishment of the day was that Adam finished reading We Solve Murders to me.  We liked it, just not nearly as much as the other books by the same author.  Also, it was such a great accomplishment to finish because I usually fall asleep after a few pages.  It took us awhile to read.

This morning, after getting an eyeful of the beautiful dawn light, I think it's going to be another good day.

"Spring" break

 This isn't like spring, but this is very much like spring.  

We made it to the Home Place.  Adam emptied the solitary mouse in the trap (our trapper is in Mexico on his own spring break) and vacuumed flies and I wiped off counters and put everything away and made the bed.  We had a little kerfuffle with turning the water on, but then Adam figured it out.  (My dad was on his way over, but I called him off.)

Getting the place winterized and then not is such a process and Adam had forgotten a step.

While we were driving over Pequop, we very nearly talked ourselves into driving to see QE instead of staying in Starr Valley.  When the water wasn't working, I told Adam, "I guess we can go to California...."

I hung the picture I bought myself with my birthday money from my parents.

It is peaceful and lovely here.

In the late afternoon, we went to visit my parents.  I love being able to just stop by for a visit.  We came home and made dinner and after eating, made a little progress on our trip planning.  

This morning, we woke up to more snow.  Spring at elevation.

This is the orchard view out the bathroom window.  That crabapple tree will have blossoms on it eventually, but today is not that day.

Today is my mom's birthday and I had thought we'd take a walk together, but maybe if/when it stops snowing.  My parents are coming over for dinner to celebrate the big day.

It is happy to be here.

Listen, sister

 Yesterday morning I started seeing auras.  This is sometimes a harbinger of a migraine, sometimes not.  I ended up with a headache.  Thankfully it wasn't a full on migraine.

I talked to Braeden in the late morning.  I told him that I had an ambitious to do list and I was trying to struggle through despite my headache. 

He said, "Maybe you should listen to your body.  Maybe your headache is saying, 'Listen, sister, you need to take it easy.'"

I sat in my chair for 30 minutes and read.  It made a difference!  My headache was lessened and I was able to get almost everything done on my list--at least the most important things.

Braeden is pretty smart.  

Mother Nature's April Fool's trick was we woke up to snow this morning.  Spring isn't uniform.  Also today, we're going to Starr Valley.  I'm looking forward to the drive (on the road with Adam is my favorite) and spending time with my parents and a few small projects I have planned.

Mostly, I'm glad to have lots of time with Adam.  It's nice to have little breaks from busy-ness.

Weekend

 Spring break!  

I am happy about it.

I slept for 9 hours for the past three nights and I think it has given me a new lease on life.

Saturday morning we went to clean the church and I thought maybe we should do that every Saturday because it got us up and out the door early.  Adam magnanimously asked me if I wanted a drink at Maverik after and I said of course. 

Then he said, "And I'm going to go wash my car...."

Very tricky!  I hate going with him to wash his car because he is the most thorough person alive and I feel like it's a hostage situation.  

He said, "I'm going to just vacuum it 'very quickly.'"

I didn't believe him, but it actually was pretty fast.

The takeaway is be wary if someone offers you a drink at Maverik after cleaning the church on a Saturday.

We went about the rest of our day and in the afternoon I spent time researching some of my British ancestors.  We may see some of their places--still not all planned.

Ansley Miller is my third great grandmother and I visit her grave every Memorial Day.  I was reading about her and piecing together stories I sort of already knew and I told Adam, "I wish I could ask my Grandpa Wood about all of this."

Then I remembered I had his life story, written by my mother and given to me by her, on my shelf.

What a gift!

The family story has its definite ups and downs with people falling away from the Church and then future generations coming back.  

Words in it inspired and bolstered me:

Ansley remained faithful to the Church.

Such a simple sentence that speaks volumes.  So does this: 

Grandpa was not a member of the Church and Grandma was devoted to the Church.  Out of respect for Grandma's religion though, he always made sure that she paid her tithing.

Also this:

After they moved to Bennion, Stern Jr. got a serious case of pneumonia.  They had the Elders administer to him.  In their blessing they promised him that he'd be well.  That's what aroused Grandpa's interest in the Church.

What an impact those unnamed priesthood holders had on my life! 

He joined the Church, they were sealed in the temple.  The chain that had been broken, was reconnected when they performed temple work for his parents.  

It was all such an important reminder that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it is never over and we can also change.  There is an incredible amount of hope knowing that our stories aren't irreparable.

I'm grateful to my mom that I have these stories!

Mark was sick, but Emma came over yesterday.  We talked to Braeden and Anna and QE, ate dinner, took a walk and played some games.  

Today I have an exuberant to do list for my at home spring break day.  Hopefully my energy matches my ambition.

Grateful Friday

 I noticed this list all started with S, so then I just went for it.

Today I'm grateful for:

Spring

The weather has been amazing (changing a bit for the worse today)!  There are misty green leaves on trees and a few trees with blossoms.  I'm glad to live somewhere where the seasons change.  

Sidewalk Chalk

A group of fifth graders have started a mural outside my classroom window and some kids in my class are working on something over in the four squares.  I love seeing their progress and earnestness.

Snow on the Mountain

I'll never not be grateful to see snow up there.  It makes me feel safe and it is also beautiful.

Sisters

Perennially grateful for those two.

School

I love my job.

Starting Again

I'm grateful for all the ways, big and small, that I can try again when I fail or don't get something right.  What a gift!

Spring Break

I am looking forward to more time with Adam, time in Starr Valley, time with my parents.  (My recalcitrant sisters are going on trips!)

Busy, but good. But busy.

 Yesterday as I was hurrying from school to my math class, I talked to Marianne on the phone.  I said, "I feel like I can't get it together.  It isn't a phase; it's who I am."

Things have been far busier than I prefer.  The margins are either too small or non-existent.  

I can't wait for spring break!

I did meet Janelle for dinner last night (which is counter to my I just want to be home feeling, but I thoroughly enjoyed it).  We talked about all the things and it was so great to reconnect.  She insisted on paying because it was for my birthday, which was very kind.  I love her and forgive her for leaving Bonneville, but only because I love her so much.

I came home to a houseful of youth.  They had made pizza at our house in some sort of contest Adam concocted where they had ingredients to choose from and they could force the other team to use certain ingredients.  I didn't 100% understand it, but they had a good time.

If you need some sort of wacky but fun twist on anything, ask Adam.