Catching Up

Pretty sure my last post was just yesterday but it says it was months ago. These days I can't seem to do anything but work, eat and sleep. My body just doesn't want to cooperate with anything more. My job is pretty demanding, challenging, rewarding and sometimes frustrating all at the same time. I have a pretty amazing staff though and love going to work every day. During this tough economy I am just so grateful to have a good job. The last few days I have been helping my DVA work on a DV case. It never ceases to amaze me what people can do to each other. I come home at night and express my love and appreciation to my husband for all that he has done for me and for never laying a hand to hurt me in any way. He is always willing to help take care of others. He truly has a heart of gold.

I have been reading a book called "The 5 People You Meet in Heaven". It is a story of a man who lived an pretty ordinary life and then he dies goes to Heaven and meets 5 people there who explain why things happened in his life, why some people came into his life and what they had to teach him. It gave the "other side" of the story. There is so much more that we don't get to see or know about. He was shown a time when he was a child and ran out into the street after a baseball. A car had to swerve to miss hitting him. He retrieved the ball and went back to playing and went home happy that he had not lost his baseball. He never knew that the man driving the car had a bad heart and the fright of having to swerve to miss the boy caused him to have a heart attack. He crashed the car, was taken to the hospital and died. He even attended the funeral with his parents totally oblivious to who the man was or that he had played a part in his death. He was just annoyed that his parents had taken him there in the first place. Sort of a crazy book but it sure has given me a new perspective. I highly recommend it. Very short reading.

We had our first Thanksgiving without any kids at home. We decided we didn't need to cook so we went to Hon Dah to their buffet. They had an amazing spread of food including a chocolate fountain with fruit. The room was decorated for Christmas and really got me in the Christmas mood. After we ate we went to the movie "Unstoppable". It kept us on the edge of our seats which kept us from falling asleep. The next stop was Walmart. It was very quiet as people were waiting for Black Friday. You can have it. I attended Black Friday via the internet. That is the only way to go. No hassle, fights or even getting dressed. I shopped in my PJ's and loved it. It was a good day.

I am so excited for Christmas. It is such a magical time of the year and for some reason this year it feels very magical. All of the kids will be home this year. My intent is to have an amazing Christmas with lots of fun, love and laughter. Can't wait to see everyone and be together as a family. I miss you all so much.

Grateful for Conference

I just finished watching conference and it seems that the things we need to hear always penetrate the heart. I got the sense that there was a warning to us when so many spoke about how we need to listen to our "live" prophets voice and that He speaks scripture to us when he talks. President Monson's talk on gratitude touched me. We do have so much to be grateful for and yet we so often see the lack in our lives instead of all the tender mercies that are extended to us. I have learned to see those tender mercies so quietly displayed in my life.
I loved the quotes he gave:
"To live with gratitude in our hearts is to touch heaven".
"It is a wise man who grieveth not for what he doth not have, but in who rejoiceth in what he doth have".
I began this year with a resolution to show more gratitude for the good things in my life. Conference was a wonderful reminder of that resolution. I was also struck by the admonition to slow down our lives and remember what is important to us. It is so hard to do sometimes. I feel like all I do is work, eat and sleep. I need to take a hard look at where I am and where I want to be. I can't wait to get the Ensign to review the wonderful talks.
This is the first I can remember that I had the air conditioner on during conference instead of the heater!!

New Computer...finally!

The last few months my computer has been acting up. It was a mini Dell and had run out of disk space. Jennifer was able to find me a very good deal on one (Thanks SO much Jen) so I am now back in action. I have lost a whole summer of postings so I'll just catch up and then begin adding pictures again later. I had been traveling quite a bit with my new job, going to trainings. I have had the opportunity to see more parts of the USA, which I really enjoyed. I was asked to apply for a new position and on June 7th I became the new clinic manager for North Country Health Care. I have worked in the health field for awhile and have lived with an EMT most of my married life so I have been exposed to the field in many ways. I also love working with people so it has been something I have really enjoyed. I have spent 50-60 hours a week learning the job so I haven't spent much time in my yard and didn't get time to plant a garden this summer, my poor yard looks like it has been abandoned. But it will always be there waiting for the work to get done. It has rained so much that we haven't had time to mow the grass, then we left for a week-end and it really did look like we had moved out. It took Gary 4 mows to get it back to normal.
It has been a very busy summer and I can't believe that it is almost over. We went to Utah for a family reunion in May. It is always fun to see family members again and I always love spending time with the kids. In July the kids came home for the 24th celebration. I have always loved the 24th celebration. To me it is as fun and exciting as Christmas. Emilee came and stayed for a week with us. We kept Carson after Jen and Tyler left. He had fun playing with his cousins. Trevyn had just begun walking before they came and he really mastered it by the time they left. Emilee and I took the kids school shopping in Show Low. Kyndie had a good time looking at clothes but the boys could have cared less. For some reason I always loved that adventure with my kids so it was fun to go with my grand kids.
We went back to Utah on the 7th of August for Westyn's baptism. It was a very special experience watching him become a member of the church. Watching Dallas and Westyn going into the water to perform that ordinance was a thrilling experience. I knew that this day would come fast. The next thing we know we will be going for his mission farewell. They are all growing up to fast.
Gary and I were also called to be missionaries in the Concho Branch. I loved teaching for 12 years in the Concho School. The people there are very special. We are having a good time going there and enjoying their sweet spirit. I was called to be the Librarian and Gary as the Executive Assistant to the President. As I was driving there this morning, the hills were so green from all of the rain we have had this summer. I felt like I was in a different place, it is so gorgeous. As the summer draws to an end and we look forward to fall and it's awesome colors I am grateful for all the things we have had the opportunity to do. In September I get to go and spend a whole week with the grand kids. I can't wait. If life were perfect, I would get the opportunity to spend time with each of my children and grandchildren every day but I guess that is what eternity is for.

A Perfectly Peaceful Day

Darrell and Marta Moerch invited the TOHC group to spend the day at the Cat Walk located in Glenwood, New Mexico. I had heard of it before but I had never been there. It is a little piece of heaven.
It is an old gold and silver mine, now turned into a park. The cat walks have been added so that you can walk and view the remains of the mine. We think that we have come so far but looking at how the men built and orchastraed that mine made me wonder. They stood on boulders and somehow poured cement blocks on them. They had to have repelled down the sides of the mountain to drill holes for the metal hooks. It is mind boggling to me the work that they did.

The spring runoff had waterfalls running at full steam. The power of water is amazing, how it changes the rocks and cuts its way through whatever it needs to get through.

It was so green and beautiful. The sound of the running water and the warm breeze made it a perfect, relaxing, healing day. This was the end of the trail. You can get off the trail and begin hiking up the mountain but it was pretty rough terrain. Two miles was good enough for the adults so we turned and headed back.

As we were walking up the path a park ranger stopped to talk to us. He told us that there is a legend that says if you can throw a rock and hit it into the hole in this tree, you will have good luck for a year. It seemed easy enough but he said he has only been able to do it once. Of course we all had to try it. Two of the kids made it! The first being one of the girls, so of course the boys couldn't let a girl win so they threw rocks until they made it. When we got back down to the entrance of the park we carried out picnic lunch to a table and enjoyed just relaxing and eating. We put our tired feet into the water, it was freezing cold, but it felt so good. What a wonderful day. We all had a great time. I would love to go again before it gets too hot.

Special Moment

I am not quite sure how to write this entry except to say that I want to record a very special and emotional moment in my life. Tuesday May 11, 2010, my TOHC kids met to do a critique of the Mock Disaster. My president turned the time over to David Gunnels for a surprise presentation. David walked to the back of the room and picked up this boquet of flowers and a paper and stood in front of me. He said that each flower represented one member of the coalition and that he would like to read something he had dedicated to me. He read the "Starfish, Making a Difference" story. It is about a young man on the beach. To a local writer who has come to the beach, it looks like the man is dancing in the early evening sunset. When the writer approaches the young man he finds that he is throwing something into the ocean. The writer inquires as to what the young man is doing. The young man exlains that the tide brings in starfish and when the tide goes back out, it leaves the starfish behind to die. He further explains that he comes to the beach each night to throw starfish back into the ocean. The writer tells the young man that there are thousands of starfish that come in with the tide and that he cannot possibly make a difference. The young man bends down and picks up a starfish and throws it back into the ocean and says ,"It made a difference for that one". After he read the story, he talked about how being a member of TOHC had changed his life and thanked me for making a difference in his and making a difference in the community. David has come such a long way, has grown so much and is an amazing young man. I am so honored by what he did. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life!

Mock Disaster Drill

For the last 3 months the TOHC coalition (Teens Opposed to Harmful Choices) has been planning a mock disaster drill for the St. Johns High School students. On May 5, 2010 all was in place and ready. Sixteen agencies had been invited to the drill and all of them came through. It was amazing. I am so proud of the work this group did. The drill went off without a hitch.
The students were moulaged prior to the drill to simulate injuries occuring in the crash.

The city crew loaded the vehicles to be used in the mock crash. They were also there afterwards to clean up for us. You guys rock! The collaboration between all agencies was truely amazing and went together like a work of art.
At the High School two cars were placed in head on crash position. Now we await the crash victims.

A third car was placed across the street, having come from the bus barn slamming into the other cars, losing control.

The car rolled over and came to rest on it's top, killing the driver and only slighly wounding the passenger.

St. Johns Fire and EMS work using the jaws of life to prepare this car for the 6 victims of this crash scene.

One victim would be life flighted to the hospital by Guardin Air, one adult pedestrian would be life flighted by Native Air. Five students would be taken by ground ambulance with life threatening injuries. One of them would be paralized for life.

After the drill students were invited to an assembly where the disaster was brought together. Students heard the 911 call that went out. Lights were lowered and a funeral procession began with the Arizona Rangers carrying a casket down the center isle and onto the rising stage. A short life history was read about the deceased student Jordyn Plumb, after which a funeral procession left the stage, each placing a flower on the casket. Taps echoed as the the procession exited the stage. The spirit of Jordyn Plumb appeared on stage telling students that she thought she knew it all and had life figured out. A decision to use drugs led to her untimely, tragic death. A video which the team filmed, depicted a drug buy at "the tree", the use of the purchased drugs and the reckless driving which led to the accident. To end the video, statistics of drug abuse and it's relationship to vehicle crashes was displayed. Following the video three agencies presented information to the students. The Arizona Rangers, Apache County ACCENT and Native Air.

To end the presentation I went to the stage and asked the TOHC students to join me. As they came on stage, their peers arose and gave them a standing ovation, letting them know that they had heard the message. It was a very emotional closing to an amazing event.

I can't close this post without saying THANK YOU to all who particapted with us and made this event the success that it was. Special thanks to my husband who is always behind the scene doing what needs to be done to ensure success. Thanks honey, you are amazing!!

Birthday Week-end

Jaron and Sharla came home for the week-end to celebrate Jaron's birthday. They came from warm 80 degree temperatures to the cold and wind but we had a good time. Jaron got spoiled. Jaron can cook a mean steak on the grill and we women can add just the right touch to the rest of the meal. Oh except for the rolls that didn't turn out, sorry Jaron.
On Friday we decided we would attend a Saturday session at the temple. We had such a good time. I love going to the temple.

I did learn that Satan is alive and well and does not want us entering the House of the Lord. I thought I had renewed my temple recommend when Sharla got married but found out it had expired. I called my Bishop and he told me to come down. When I got there the book was locked up, he called is councelor who came down unlocked the filing drawer, handed the book to the Bishop and left. Bishop opened the book to find no recommends!! We tried to call but the councelor was not home yet. So my Bishop tried the lock with his key which previously would not work...... it opened! I breathed a sigh of relief as I had to meet the Stake Presidency before 8:00 and it was 15 minutes till. We finally completed that stage and I ran for my next appointment. Running in the dark is not a good idea as you can't see little things. Suddenly I found myself flat on the ground, alittle out of breath and hurting. Knowing I only had a few minutes I got up and knocked on the door, holding my breath. I completed the task at hand. Got back in my vechicle, uttered a prayer of thanks that God's power is greater than Satan's and went on home. When I got in the door what had happened began to hit me. My left rib was either bruised to broken, still not sure which one. I spent a pretty sleepness night. The next morning I was unsure that I was going to be able to go. I am amazed at the power and strength that our Heavenly Father offers when we ask. The trip was good and the peaceful spirit in the temple was healing for my soul.

The windy cold week-end gave way to a snowy, cold blizzard. The kids left Sunday afternoon in this weather. When they got to Snowflake they said it cleared up. We had hard, bolts of thunder followed by snow, weird. It did help settle the dust though. It was a very wet snow so it was funny to see the green grass poking through the snow.

My girls, the runners.

Saturday April 24, 2010 Jennifer and Kelsey ran in the Hurricane 1/2 Marathon and 5K race. Kelsey had never run before so she decided to run the 5K. Jennifer had run 2, 1/2 marathons and the St. George Marathon so she ran the half. They both did so well!! Kelsey came in 4th place in the woman's group. I'd say that it pretty darn good for a first time. She said that she felt so good. It jazzed her up. I think she may have the running bug now too!
She felt so good in fact that we got in the car to find Jen and cheer her on and when we found her, Kelsey got out and decided to run the remaining way with her. They were running at a good and steady pace. Jen looked pretty tired but we cheered her on at several different points in the race.

Jen came in 9th place in the women's group. She said she was ahead a good deal of the time until she hit the "killer hill" and then she lost some time. She had no idea how hard that hill would be to tackle. She said the ambulance kept driving by and at one point she wanted to get in but I knew she wouldn't. When Jen starts something she will finish it. She loves running the marathons.

The family gathers to congratulate the girls on their accomplishment. I couldn't be prouder of my girls. They did so well. What a good feeling to accomplish something so hard.

Jen looks beat. Her muscles are starting to ache so it's home for a hot soak in the tub with some Epson salts and a good rub down. You both are so amazing to me. I love you tons!

Little People are My Favorite Kind of People

At 7:30 am Carson came bounding into the room, jumped on the bed with tons of kisses and announced that I needed to get up because I was going to school with him!!! I had a bad case of jet lag but I wasn't about to miss that opportunity. It was Friday and that meant "show and tell". When it was Carson's turn he told the class that he brought his Grandma for show and tell and that I had flown on an airplane to see him. I took a bit of a long way around way to see him. When we got home it was time to play. He decided that Grandpa would make a great bucking bull on the trampoline. They had so much fun. When Grandpa declared that he was worn out, he came looking for Grandma. He told me that I wasn't a very good bucking bull. I laughed so hard I couldn't stay up. We did discover that I was good at another game though so it was ok. Carson said "Grandma, I just love it when you come because you always bring me exciting stuff and we play fun things together". I sure love coming too Carson.
Saturday Em, Dallas and the kids came. It is always so fun to have the family together. I am so glad that they came. It was Dallas' 30th birthday so I kept the kids and sent them off to have a birthday lunch and some time alone together. The kids love to see each other and play together. They can't get enough of each other. We jumped on the trampoline, they rode bikes and played with the neighborhood kids. Trevyn was content to climb on the big wheel. He would climb up and stand and be so proud and then he would cry because he couldn't get down. So I'd put him on the lawn and he would crawl back up. We went for a walk in the stroller. He loved that and relaxed so much that he fell asleep. He was so cute. The next time we see him he will probably be walking!! He is growing up so fast.

That night the kids had a hard time settling down. They didn't want to go to sleep for fear they would miss a minute of playing together. When they did finally go to sleep they were snuggled up together. They looked so cute and peaceful. Kyndie was mad because she had to sleep in the room with Grandpa and Grandma. She wants to be right in the middle of it all too. Sometimes it's hard to be the only girl. We had such a good time playing with them. They are all getting so big. I sure wish we could be with them everyday!! I love you kiddos soooooo much!!

Up, Up and Away

Sunday April 18, 2010 I left Flagstaff headed for Phoenix, headed for Atlanta Georgia for a training on Domestic Violence. The flight from Flag to Phoenix was a bit rough but the flight from Phoenix to Atlanta was so nice. We were treated to first class and let me tell you, that is the only way to fly!
We landed in Atlanta at 6:44 pm and faced a 3 hour time difference. We suffered from a good case of jet lag . Our motel was so awesome. Each room had a front room and bedroom, two big screen tvs, microwave and fridge. Just like home. The beds were so comfortable, good thing we were exhaustedl

This was the view of the motel from my 5th floor room. It looked like a jungle. There was a stream there with fish swimming in it. It was very relaxing. We were going to enjoy the next 4 days there.

Atlanta was so green and pretty. There are a ton of trees, shrubs and flowers. I loved it. Of course they get a lot of rain to make it green so you have to love the rain to live there. It rained one day while we were there. Atlanta is the home of Coca cola which was pretty hard for a Pepsi drinker. I learned the hard way not to ask for Pepsi!! I didn't see a Pepsi the whole time I was there. They must be true to Coke. We went to a french restaurant and at the end of the meal this was the plate we were brought. This is a first for me. Piggs as an after dinner delight. It was pretty funny.

The trip home wasn't as enjoyable. The flight from Atlanta was rough, but on a large airplane it is tolerable. We boarded the plane for Flag with a warning that the trip would be alittle rough and it was. We got to Flag and began the descent. The pilot came on and announced that the airport was under cloud cover and we would be in a holding pattern around the airport to see if the weather would clear. He stated that by law, they had to have 1/2 mile visability. Shortly they powered up and announced that we were headed back to Phoenix. Back through the bumps!! When we landed in Phoenix we had to wait for a shuttle to transport us back to Flag. That was a story in itself, but we finally made it. Gary had to wait for 6 hours for us to arrive. Shortly after arriving we headed for Utah to watch the girls run in a marathon. By the time we got to Utah, I had been up for 23 hours. I haven't done that for a long time and let me just say that the old gray mare ain't what she used to be!!

TIMBER!!!!

Twenty four years ago we moved to St. Johns and into this house. That summer we planted 3 globe willows. I love those trees because they are very full and grow fast. The kids have climbed the trees, slept under them, had picnics under them and enjoyed their shade. Over the years the trees began to die. I think a bug got into them. Finally we decided that they had to go. It was a very sad day for us.

Gary takes the saw and begins taking the trees down. I wanted to stand and cry for the loss of them.

Timber!!

Here it goes. No turning back now. It is done.

The yard looks so plain and lonely. We haven't decided what to do to replace them. It will take a while for the shock of it to settle in. Hopefully we can work on the yard this summer and really make it a beautiful yard.

We found the Easter Bunny!!

Kelsey, Emilee and Dallas and the kids came to spend Easter with us. It is always so fun to have them come and spend time with us. On Friday Grandpa called home to tell us that he thought he saw the Easter Bunny walking around town. So the kids and I jumped in the car to go and check it out and sure enough he was standing on main street, waving as people passed by. We parked the car and rushed to meet him. Westyn and Treyson were excited to see him and get some Easter candy but Kyndie wasn't so excited. She said he was "freaky" and wasn't about to get near him! She finally agreed to a picture only if I promised to stand by her. Trevyn was sound asleep and missed out on all the fun. How fun they are!!

Easter Pagent

Last week-end (March 25) I had a quarterly meeting in Phoenix. I decided to spend the week-end at Kelsey's house. We had a lot of fun, visiting and shopping.

On Thursday night we went to the Easter Pagent at the Mesa Temple. It was so amazing. What a wonderful reminder about what Easter is. It brought home once again the reality of the Savior's birth and resurrection and made me so grateful for that knowledge. Thinking of what our Savior did for each of us is so amazing. To think 0f my sins and him bleeding from every pore for them is overwhelming. What a powerful love he has for each of us. I am so grateful for the knowledge this church brings to me.

A couple of Sunday's ago the lesson in Relief Society was on the creation. We discussed the many worldly teachings about how the world was created. One woman raised her hand and said " The world being created by the Big Bang Theory is about as likely as having an explosion in a printing shop and coming out with a dictionary". When you look at it that way, it really makes things clear. I am so grateful for my membership in the church and for all of the answers it gives to life's hard questions.

On Saturday night, Jaron and Sharla treated Kelsey and I to dinner at Texas Road House. One of my favorite places to eat. It is always so good. Thanks guys. Love you all tons and so enjoy spending time with y0u.

Happy Spring

Happy Spring Everyone!! I know it's a day early but I think we are all ready for Mr. Winter to go into hiding for the next few months. The trees are beginning to bud, the spring flowers are popping up and spring fever is in the air. I am going to Phoenix tomorrow to soak up some of their sunshine, Yippee!! I think everyone's moods will improve when we can see and feel the warmth of the sun on our skin. My white legs are sure looking forward to it. Can't wait to see my kids. I am so homesick for all of you!!

Another Scare

At approximately 5:00 pm today the FAA called looking for a Beachcraft airplane. The pilot had radioed in saying that his cockpit was filling with smoke from the front panel. Shortly after he went below radar and the FAA could not get an answer from him. He had already crossed the St. Johns Airport and the Holbrook highway. All surrounding airports were contacted,no one had seen him. Two airplanes landed here and were asked to keep an eye out for a downed aircraft. At 6:00 Gary and I traveled the Holbrook road for 20 plus miles to see if we could spot anything. It is weird because you are afraid you will find something and afraid you won't. We came back into town and had some errands to run, then about 8:30 Gary called the FAA to check on the plane. Somehow this pilot had made it to his destination. The smoke had fried the radio wires which is why he was not answering. Hello, are you kidding me!! Why would you continue to fly with smoke filling your cockpit??? We suspect that the FAA will meet with him to ask the same question. We are just relieved that he is ok.
The company that picked up the last aircraft reminded Gary that accidents tend to come in 3's, so we were worried that we were starting that trend once again. Cross your fingers that it doesn't. A prayer or two would be nice also!!!!

New Bed

Sleep deprivation is not a good thing! It tends to make one cranky after awhile SOOO Gary and I decided it was time to go shopping for a new bed. Well of course one thing leads to another and we decided to get a King size bed which needed a king size headboard which needed 2 new night stands which needed new sheets, blanket and bedspread. But hey after 30 years of marriage we decided that wasn't such a bad thing. So, we get it here and get it all put together and we stand and gaze at this beautiful sight, in awe that it has taken us so long to do this. We start laughing about how in awe we are, then we look at each other, we both know what the other is thinking, Yip we need to redo the walls and get new carpet. There is good news, however, the dresser that we refinished last summer is a very good match so we don't have to replace it. So it all balances out don't you think? Ha Ha We are very much enjoying the comfort of a good mattress.

Oh No, Not Again!

Yesterday I decided that I was finally going to get to my back room and get it cleaned out. I got done later in the afternoon and was sitting and enjoying the clean room. Gary had gone to the airport to check on our new hire, Patricia. A few minutes later he called to tell me that another airplane had crashed. As I was walking toward the airport I spotted the wreckage and two young men walking toward the terminal. I was so glad that they were out and walking. At first look it didn't look like the crash was too bad but after walking to the plane, I found that these two young men were very lucky to be alive.

The weather was pretty crazy. One minute the wind was blowing and the next, it was calm. When they got to the end of the runway they reported that the wind was calm and they were going to proceed with the planned take off, however when the pilot lifted off a gust of wind caught the wing and it was all in God's hands at that point. The left wing hit first and sent them down hard, hitting the prop, which broke into pieces and was spread all over the runway. Both wheels came off, one rolling down the opposite runway. They spun in a circle heading back in the opposite direction finally coming to a stop. They said it all happened in a matter of seconds.

They were both pretty shook up and kept reminding each other that the plane was not the important thing, they were alive! I felt so bad for them. A pilot thinks of his aircraft as his "baby" even more so than their vehicle. Gary and I ended up driving them to Gallup, New Mexico to meet a friend. We had dinner with them while we waited for their ride to show up. As they sat, the soreness began to set in. They kept saying that they were just glad to be alive and so might I add were we. The video of that scene will replay in their minds for days on end. They had just picked this plane up in October and had begun to enjoy it. The pilot said he was done flying but we encouraged him to get up and get back to it. He had just gotten his license a year ago. They were great guys. We hope all goes well for them. We just hope this isn't the beginning of another round of crashes. We have had enough already!!

Love Looks Like This

I love Valentine's Day and the opportunity to express my love to those that I love. I am so grateful for a wonderful sweetheart to love and celebrate with. I am grateful for 30 Valentine's Days to express love to the love of my life. We send our love to our kids and grandkids. We love you tons!!