Category Archives: Family

Busyness!

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I recently wrote a post about how busy things have become. Last Sunday, “Bonus Baby” spoke in church, before leaving on her mission. It was mother’s day and we had a house full of guests here to see Emily speak. After Emily spoke, we had 60+ people at our home. It was a fun and very busy weekend. Emily did such a great job on her talk. She is a sweetheart and I am so blessed to be her Mama.

This Monday is Riley and Janet’s wedding. We have been busily making decorations and preparations. One of my favorite things that we have been working on is a bench to put Riley and Janet’s gifts on. It started out as our old bed frame. For years my sweetie and I shared a full size bed. We’re not tall people, and a lot of that time my darlin was working graveyard. When I got out of bed, he was getting in bed. We finally graduated to a queen sized bed. I kept the frame for all of these years because I wanted to make a bench out of it. So with the wedding coming up, we decided it was a great time to make the bench. It is turning out so cute!! We’re not quite done with it. Here’s a pic

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We will be busily decorating on Monday morning so Riley and Janet can get married. Then Monday night we’ll have a reception for them. I am so happy for them. They are a very good match for each other. Every mother wants her children to marry a wonderful person. Riley is marrying a wonderful person. We love Janet.

Just two days after the wedding, Emily will leave on her mission. (That was part of the reason for having the wedding two days before, so Emily wouldn’t miss it.) We will drive to the MTC in Provo and drop her off. Then we won’t see her for a year and a half. Ouch. I’ve done this before, but I never get used to dropping off a missionary and saying good bye for a time. The hardest part about this one is, she is my baby. My baby grew up. We used to tell the kids when they were little that “growing up” was against the rules. It was fun to get their responses to that. They’d say something like, “But mom, I have to grow up!”

She did it. She broke the rules, just like the others.

My church calling has been quite busy. I am the Primary President in our ward and I absolutely love it!! I have meetings every Sunday with the children in our ward. We sing and learn together. I love the be in Primary. I meet with my counselors and my secretary each week for an hour or so. We love the children and the teachers who serve with us. We feel very blessed knowing that Father in Heaven is helping us to do our best.

After the wedding, and Emily leaves, things will calm down quite a bit. I think I might have too much time on my hands. I know there will be tears. I know I will miss my “Bonus Baby”. I also know she will do an amazing job on her mission and will bless many people. I am happy when my children have amazing opportunities. This is how I feel about being the mother to a missionary.

I’ll just keep doing what my mission president taught me.

“Bloom Where You’re Planted!”

Life is good!

Can It Get Busier? Don’t Answer That.

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Well, I have been quite the slacker on the blog lately. I can honestly say that life is giving me a boat load of wonderful busyness and blessings.

  1. Our sweet “Bonus Baby” Emily is busily getting ready for her LDS Mission.
  2. I was given a wonderful and busy calling of Primary President in our new LDS Ward. (We didn’t move, our LDS Stake was reorganized.)
  3. And our “First Born” son Riley, just got engaged to his sweetheart, Janet.

They say things come in 3’s. I don’t know who they are, but they nailed it here. I am not at all complaining. I feel so blessed to have exciting things to look forward to. I have always done my best, and been my best self, when a lot is expected of me. I do have a bit of a scatter brain sometimes though. I’ll give you an example of what happened last Friday.

Our darling Emily needs a background check to go on her mission. It’s not for the church, it’s for the countries she is going to be serving in. In order to accomplish this we: Had to get her fingerprinted at the jail in the county where we live. Take the finger prints, an application for a background check, a cover letter explaining what we want, and when we want it, to the FBI, and a cashiers check for $18.00. I went to the post office and paid for two express mail envelopes; one to send everything in, and one for them to send the back ground check back to us. So, I get everything together and head to the bank for a cashiers check, then off to the post office. I got to the post office, and waited in line for about 15 minutes. I got the envelopes and stepped aside to write the addresses on them and then filled them and the postal worker took them. I headed for home. As I parked in the garage, I suddenly realized I forgot to put the check in the envelope. I was sooo frustrated. The thought came to me, “Go back right now and see if you can get the check put in the envelope.” So I backed out and went straight to the post office…again. I waited in line for the same worker. I came up and said, “Do you remember me?” The postal worker said, “Express mail? Right?” I said, “Yes, I forgot to put the check in the envelope 🙁” The worker said, “I can open it up for you.” I said, “YES! Thank you so much!” I went out into the car and just cried. Then I said a prayer of thanks. I had spent a lot of money to send the things in the envelope, if they didn’t get the check, I’d have to start all over. I am so thankful that worked out!!

Our Next Missionary!

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Emily received her mission call this past Thursday, Valentines Day. We were all so excited for her to open it! We called family and friends to come and watch her open her call. We probably had 40-50 people at our house. We had cell phones on speaker, so others could hear too. Then she open it.

“You are here by called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the West Indies Mission.”

Now you know why she has that look on her face!! Wow, we are all so excited! She will leave in May. Of course I will be posting what she writes home weekly, so if you would like to see how she is doing, you can check on Mondays.

We are so proud of Emily. She is in so many ways a “Bonus Baby”. She has been a blessing to me from the start. What a sweetheart!

Happy Valentines Day!

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My cute little Emily and her friend Sam had a great idea for Valentines Day.

They decided since they don’t have a sweetheart to give a Valentine to this year that they didn’t want to let it get them down. So they decorated sugar cookies and delivered them to friends and left an anonymous note telling them they were loved.

How sweet.

When they got home from delivering their treats they were just smiling and laughing and talking about how much fun it was to drop off the treat and run for the get away car. I think Emily even slipped on some ice once and “bought the farm”. What darling girls they are!!

Tomorrow is Valentines Day. I have always felt like it’s not just about my sweetheart, it’s about all of the ones I love. My favorite tradition for Valentines Day it to have a candle lite dinner with my whole family. When the kids were little, they thought it was so neat to eat dinner by candle lite. So that’s what we’ll be doing on Valentines Day.

Also, my “Bonus Baby” Emily is waiting for a mission call right now. It should come tomorrow!! So hopefully, we’ll have our candle lite dinner, then a mission call opening party with friends and family! I sure hope it comes, it should.

I hope you have someone, or lots of someones to love tomorrow. If not deliver some love to someone who needs it, you’ll feel better I promise!

Happy Valentines Day!! Love, Joy

We’re All Together!

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Life really is awesome! Yes, there are ups and downs, but it really is awesome!

Falling asleep the other night I thought to myself,”My whole family is here right now.” We haven’t been together for 2 1/2 years.

Riley joined the army and left for boot camp for 5 months. Alex left on his mission and was gone for two years. Kelsey left on her mission and was gone for a year and a half. She returned this past Thursday.

I am so happy to have my whole family together. I’m not sure I have the words to express the gratitude I feel, but after that thought came to my mind the other night, I said a prayer thanking Father in Heaven for the gift of family, and for my children and their safe return. To be all together Dad, Mom, and all the kids is such a great place to be. I am so grateful for the love we share.

…..Family…..

I love them!

“Fourteen Towel Woman?”

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I love the book by Emily Watts, Confessions of an Unbalanced Woman. She tells the story of a washing machine, one of her children had loaded with 14 towels. The machine was capable of washing ten towels with no problem, but 14 made the machine out of balance. Then she compares this to her life and calls herself a “fourteen-towel woman in a ten-towel-capacity life.”

I have felt that way lately, too much to do, not enough time to do it.

As a family we are having wonderful, yet stressful times. Recently our darling missionary Alex came home from his mission to Durban, South Africa. We are so proud of him. Having a missionary come home is such fun, but it is busy! We cleaned the house, fixed up his room, worked in the yard, made signs that say, “Welcome Home”, and bought balloons, etc.

Then a week later, cleaned the house again for the get together after he spoke in church. Called, emailed, and texted family, and friends to organize food assignments. I wanted everything to be perfect for Alex, and wanted everything to be great and fun for everyone else.

It is so awesome to have him home. He is amazingly spiritual and the bonus is, he has an accent. He can share his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Zulu.

We ended up having 60 people over to our home after Alex’s talk. We had a great time! Now I can relax, a little, until Kelsey comes home in September, and then we can do it all again!

Best Mother’s Day!

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I’ve always struggled a little bit on Mother’s Day.

It’s a combination of feeling like I don’t cut it as a mom, and that my children don’t appreciate me. I know, that sounds pathetic. But I do have a desire to be a good mom, and no one likes it when they are constantly taking care of people, and they don’t get a “Thank you” on Mother’s Day.

When my children were young, I always got the token hand print and poem which I loved and still have, but now my children are grown up. I really don’t expect much. I hope for it, but I don’t expect it.

This year one of the biggest things that I was planning on for Mother’s Day was talking to my two children serving LDS missions. I have only talked to them on Christmas and Mother’s Day, and they have both been gone over a year. I miss them, but I know they are doing great things. I was able to talk to both of them on Sunday (Mother’s Day) morning. They both sounded so great and my button’s were bustin’, I am so proud. They will both be home in 2-4 months. So wonderful!!

Next, for the first time in my motherhood, my children here at home and my son’s girlfriend were all competing to see who could write the best Mother’s Day card. How fun! It was so perfect. Riley, wrote a nice note about how he has learned the lesson’s I tried to teach him, he just has to push my button’s. Janet wrote about how I have made her feel loved and she loves me. And Emily wrote a nice card and filled it with coupons, one of which has already happened. It said, “Coupon for 4 amazing kids, 1 amazing husband and one darling grandbaby, and Janny :).” Then she put “paid” all over it. So cute! Then she heart attacked the sliding glass door. Here’s a picture of it.

My favorite part was this note that said,

“If you would like to take credit for a part of this magnificent gift. please sign below…”

What a cute daughter! It was a wonderful day and loved it!

I think the key is to not expect anything, then you will be surprised and amazed when something does happen.

I hope all mother’s and those who mother, had a great Mother’s Day.

I am so grateful for my Mama! She is a women that get’s life, what where here for and how to do it. She is busy, using her time serving others and Heavenly Father. She is smart and understands people. She has taught me so much. Thank you, Mama!

Family History Friday: Collectables #7 Navajo Treasures!

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This is a rug my darlin bought in Arizona when he was a missionary there. It hangs in our bedroom. Along with these beautiful Wedding Baskets. We have kind of an eclectic decor in our room, Navajo treasures, a quilt on the bed, grandma’s hopechest, etc. But I love it! I am surrounded in my room with things that are precious to me.

The Navajo’s have a tradition with their rugs. They purposely put a mistake or flaw in each of the rugs. They say it is because only God is perfect, and if they make a perfect rug, they will offend God. I have personally used that same reasoning when I make stuff. 😉

The Wedding Baskets are given to the the couple to hang in their home. The opening points downward on purpose, it is to let the evil spirits out of their home. I think it’s a great tradition. I haven’t felt any evil spirits in our home.

The main thing to me is that my sweetie brought them home from his mission and he loves the Navajo people. They are beautiful and remind me of wonderful stories and traditions. All people have stories and traditions. I love hearing them all.

Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

 

Time!

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Time is:

Too slow for those who wait,

Too swift for those who fear, 

Too long for those who grieve,

Too short for those who rejoice;

But for those who love, 

Time is Eternal.

-Henry Van Dyke

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Today it has been one year since Kelsey left on her mission. I am so proud of her. I am so proud of me. I used to think I wouldn’t survive without my children close by. But now I know that even though two of them are miles away. They are always in my heart. They are doing amazing things with their time and loving their fellow men.

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“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

John 13:35

Collecting Pins!

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Years ago our family had an awesome opportunity.

We were able to go to, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D. C.

We had so much fun! It really was a once in a lifetime trip.

My in-laws were serving an LDS mission in Boston, so we were able to stay with them and we were able to stay with other relatives along the way. We packed as light as we could, and we were on a budget. So when we talked to the children about souvenirs, we told them we would have to be very careful in buying souvenirs.

#1 We had limited space to bring them home, and

#2 We had limited money to buy them.

One thing we did for the kids before the trip was, we bought each of them a baseball cap to wear while we traveled to protect them from the sun and to help us spot them easily.

I had a great idea come to me. We could buy pins at all of the places we visit and the kids could put them on their hats. Pins were never more then $4 at any of the places we went and that meant we could get all of our kids something at each of the places we visited. They came home with a hat full of souvenirs! I think this worked out well. It was fun to see the children’s hats have more and more pins as we traveled. The kids seemed to be really happy with their pins. We were able to travel to some amazing places, and historical places. The kids learned a lot about the is history of our great country. They had fun seeing things that they had only heard about before. Now, when they look at their pins, all of these memories will come back to them.