My Life

February 4, 2018

Dearest Spencer:

Wow! You gave a talk in church. That is fantastic! So glad that the language is coming along. You said that you came on a bit strong--did anybody say you did or is that how your felt? Are you studying your language daily? How is your ward/branch? Did Gustavo come this week?

A couple of things:

The other night RJB NJB and I were sitting around the table talking. Nathan wanted to ask a girl at school to be his Valentine. I was asking him what that means--are they boyfriend and girlfriend or does it mean something else? Apparently it is something in between "friends" and "boyfriend/girlfriend". Anyway I was trying to discourage it in a playful way saying that he is too young to have a girl friend and that he should just be friends with all of the girls. His response was something like . . . "Mom, I'm a 10 year old boy starting puberty, I notice girls, it's normal." (that was from his "puberty class that I attended with him at school). I laughed pretty hard. and then he said, "It's Valentines, there is a pizazz in your step and sparkles in the air." He is too funny!

Also, It's been on my mind a lot of how to best use my time prior to leaving for Ghana. There are a TON of things that I would like to order of my own stuff/junk. There is also A LOT to be done at Grandpa's--there is a TON of stuff to be figured out, not only papers, but also pictures, files, stuff stuff in the basement and attic. Well, while reading the book of mormon earlier this week (I decided to start over at the beginning. I finished reading it a couple of months ago and since then have just been looking up different topics, or reading favorite chapters) and in 1 Nephi 1:17 Nephi says: ". . . I shall make an account of my proceedings in my days. . . . after I have abridged the record of my father then will I make an account of mine own life." BING, I thought, that is my answer, focus on Dad and glean and gather everything I possibly can before we leave. I NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT!!! I feel it was inspiration. Grandpa is doing well and quite frankly, at this point he I think he is going to stick around for quite a while. We'll take it a step at a time. Today Grandpa bore his testimony. There was a baby blessing and so there was a microphone out that could be passed over to Gpa. He asked me to wheel him up. He spoke briefly about his injury and how crushing it was to learn he wouldn't walk again then told how he cried for a couple of days, then had Uncle David and Matt give him a blessing and that helped the crying to cease. He bore testimony of the power of the priesthood and blessings and of the truthfulness of the gospel. He thanked the Elders Quorum for getting him to church on Sunday's. It was so tender. I held the mic for him and fought back the tears.

As you may already know, Caroline came into town Friday evening and it has been wonderful having her around. It seems so normal. David Ais and Christopher came up on Saturday to spend some time with her and to pick up furniture from Grandpa's basement (some Caroline and Ryan's stuff--kitchen table, chairs, mirror; some Grandpa's stuff--coffee table, desk and couch.) as David they just got their own apartment in SLC and moved in on Saturday. We then went to dinner at El Matador in honor, of course, of Uncle Steve. It was fun to have most of our "chickens" all together, only missing you and Ryan.

I took down the Christmas lights on Saturday. Amazing how quick and easy it is to take them down--destruction is always so much easier and quicker than construction--true both literally and metaphorically isn't it? It takes little thought and effort to tear a person down verbally and through action and lots of thought and effort to build a person up. Easy to destroy, difficult to create.

So sad that there is no snow in our yard and very little snow in the mountains to fill the reservoirs in the Spring. I wonder at times what the future holds for the great salt lake, if it is eventually going to dry up and be an ecological disaster here in the area. The size of the lake has changed drastically just in my life time. We need to be stewards of the earth--wish I knew how to make a difference.

On Monday your Dad and I got together with the Barretts for lunch in SLC. They have lived in Ghana and are going back over for a year to cover for the DTA while he comes back to the US for training. Nice to meet someone who has been there and is looking forward to going back for a season. Your Dad is getting pressure from Bill to be in Accra the beginning of July and your Dad wants RJB NJB and I to join him. I am hoping the kids and I can follow him by a couple of weeks and arrive more toward the end of July. We'll see what happens.

I got together with Kelly and Janae on Wednesday. It's interesting to see the different twists and turns our lives take--we all face things we never imagined, either directly or through our kids/spouses. I become more and more convinced of the importance of staying close to the gospel and "staying on the good ship Zion" even when we have doubts. As a result of being an active member of the church, my life has been extremely blessed. I don't have all the answers, but I do know they can be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On Tuesday evening I dropped NJB off at swimming and then went to Mutual. At mutual the youth were making a dating video to be shown at a stake etiquette dinner in a couple of weeks. The kids were HILARIOUS and I lost track of time and was 30 minutes late picking up NJB. I felt HORRIBLY!!!!! Poor guy was out in the cold waiting and crying. He called me a couple of times, but my phone was turned down. That can NEVER happen again. Seriously just thinking about it now makes my heart ache.

Spent some time with Gpa on Thursday talking about how he got started painting. Then on Friday we went through all of the canvases in the basement. I found a few of his, most were canvases that somebody had started and not finished, then were passed on to him to reuse. I'm trying to encourage him to start painting again. Haven't been successful yet, but maybe he'll come around. I think he wants to, but is afraid that it won't be up to his standards. Later in the day he wanted to work on the Home Teaching message (He condenses the Home Teaching message each month, prints off 80 copies and then they get handed out to all the Home TEachers at the beginning of the month--it is his calling). He worked so hard on it I offered several times to type it up for hi but he was insistent on doing it himself. It took him hours. While he typed I organized pictures of Uncle David's life--what fun it was! Life moves too fast!

We watched the Super Bowl today for Sunday movie--Philadelphia Eagles vs. the New England Patriots. The Eagles won 41-33, It was an intense game NJB RJB and I were routing for the Eagles as they have NEVER been to the super bowl and I wanted the under dog to win. It was an exciting game!

Well dear it's way past my bed time and I am fading fast. I love you soooo much! We are happy that all seems to be going well for you. We pray for your safety, happiness and success multiple times a day!!

LTIABABA

Mom