Palmyra, New York 15 years ago

In 2001 Tyler was working for Fidelity Investments and had to travel to Boston and Rhode Island for work sometimes. This particular work trip we was scheduled to be there for several months. When that would happen, the company would fly the spouse out for a rendezvous.

So in January of 2001, 15 years ago, I found myself leaving two babies behind with grandma and boarding a plane by myself to fly across the country. I was slightly nervous with only a 1000 butterflies in my stomach. My connecting flight was on time and I eventually made it to Providence, Rhode Island where I met up with Tyler and we went out for seafood.

Ten days to myself was luxurious. Tyler would work during the day and I would hang out at the hotel. No diapers, no bottles, no working around nap times. A few times I ventured out on my own but the nights were when we would hit the town. One time is was up to Boston where we got to visit the temple that still didn't have a spire on it due to the controversy with the neighbors not wanting it (eventually everything got settled and the spire was put on).

I rode the subway for the first time. I would SOOO love to go back when its not January and see more of the historic sites. I've always imagined autumn to be a beautiful time to visit the eastern states.

One weekend we ventured over to Palmyra to visit the church historic sites. The trees! I couldn't get enough of all the trees that lined the freeway and pretty much every street. And I loved the homes that were set back from the road, hidden in the trees.

Our first stop was Clifton Springs, New York, a 15 minute drive southeast from Palmyra to see the hospital where my mother-in-law Laura was born. Her parents were there helping with the upkeep of the Joseph Smith farm and she came two months early.


The Hill Cumorah came next on our stops. It was much larger, taking in more area than I ever imagined. I can only wonder what the hillside and surrounding country might look like in early spring. With snow on the ground and biting cold air, you don't stay long to really appreciate much.

Joseph Smith's log home and the Sacred Grove was a short distance from the hill. I walked into that grove and didn't stay long because of the cold, cold air.

The Palmyra temple sits not too far from the home and the grove. It had only been in operation a short nine months before we came along.

It was time for lunch and then a visit to the Grandin Press. Tyler's dad has worked at a bindery his whole life and Ty has dabbled in the printing business as a copy editor thus making this place quite intriguing to see how books were actually made at that point in history. What a tedious, laborious job to actually set all the characters by hand . . . backwards. Oliver Cowdery, as he wrote the translations Joseph Smith dictated to him, never included any punctuation even though he was a school teacher by profession. It wasn't until the book went to press that punctuation was added. The Book of Mormon took only 63 days to translate and seven months to have printed so that all may read the words. Joseph Smith didn't want to send the original translation to the printer, so he had Oliver rewrite the translation and make another copy. This is the reason it took seven months to print. They could only go as fast as Oliver Cowdery could write.

We toured Peter Whitmer's home before finding lodging for the night. That was an adventure -- not Peter Whitmer's home but the lodging.

This was in the days before the internet really became a way to find information. I believe we looked in the phone book and found a place and reserved the room. But then to find the place took an act of faith and an even greater act of faith to actually stay. But it was a bed and we were tired. I so badly wanted a HOT bath but didn't dare in our little budget motel. At first light we were out of there only to discover 20 minutes south was the town of Canandaigua with several hotel chains we could have stayed at.

But back to the Whitmers. A story was relayed to us at the visitor center about how Joseph and Oliver were feeling hostility in Harmony as they progressed in their work of translation. Oliver wrote to his friend David Whitmer, asking if he could come and get them and if they might stay at David's father's home (Peter) as they continued in their project. It was springtime and much needed to be done to get the fields ready for planting. 

"[David] had some twenty acres of land to plow and concluded to do that and then go. 'I got up one morning to go to work as usual,' he says, 'and on going to the field, found that between five and seven acres of my land had been plowed under during the night. I don't know who did it; but it was done just as I would have done it myself, and the plow was left standing in the furrow. This enabled me to start sooner.'

Nor was this the only assistance of like character given to him. While harrowing in a field of wheat before starting on his journey he found to his surprise that he had accomplished more in a few hours than was usual to do in two or three days. The day following this circumstance he went out to spread plaster over a field, according to the custom of the farmers in that locality, when, to his surprise, he found the work had been done, and well done. David Whitmer's sister, who lived near the field, told him that three strangers had appeared in the field the day before and spread the plaster with remarkable skill. She at the time presumed that they were men whom David had hired to do the work." (Comprehensive History of the Church, B.H. Roberts)

God is in the details of our lives and surrounds us with everyday miracles if we have eyes to see.

Oh, how I loved that trip. But I was so grateful to get home to my babies. Erik didn't remember who I was and grandma and grandpa did a dandy job fattening him up with too much ice cream. Isn't that the job of a grandpa?

What would a holy woman do?

Good question.

It's a question that has been running through my mind this week especially when little decisions pop up or as I analyze a situation afterwards.

Thursday night I found myself at the Bountiful Temple on one of thee craziest nights. I sat in the chapel waiting room for a good hour just to get into the session. Instead of the 7pm session it was the 8pm which meant getting home much later than I anticipated. Anyone who knows me well, knows I am not a late night person.

But I sat patiently and took the time to read scripture and meditate. A holy woman would take advantage of those quiet moments.

Friday I subbed at the elementary school. It was a day Ash was participating in the Book Battle. I had already accepted this job and didn't feel like I could back out. Tyler went and supported her. I could have let myself get irritated for not having it on my calendar and double scheduling, but I chose instead to catch her on my lunch break and talk to her about how she did. For a girl who has never participated until this year, who had to be talked into it, and who hadn't read all the books until a day ago, she did well, taking second place.

A holy woman does not allow herself to get irritated or frustrated.

After a day of subbing I was ready to go home but needed to stop at the credit union first to deposit some checks. We ended up behind a car that seemed to take forever. I had kids in the car, one being Ashlyn's friend who didn't have a lot of time to play at our house. I thought, "How would a holy woman behave in this situation?" Again, I remained calm and didn't get uptight that things were taking longer than I thought they should.

This morning we needed to be to the church at 8:30 to practice a song for our sacrament meeting program. Alex couldn't find his Sunday clothes in a room he shares with Erik and I got frustrated that we were going to be late. I got annoyed with Erik and his clothes that never seem to make it into drawers after I've spent the day washing and folding them.

My UNHOLY woman came out and I proceeded to take all his clothes that were half in drawers and on the ground and throw them into one big heap. That would certainly teach him to take care of his clothes. By darn, he was going to understand how much time it took me to wash and fold them, and that I certainly didn't appreciate him just letting them float around his room.

Would a holy woman throw her son's clothes around the room? Definitely not.

Our Relief Society has challenged us to think and act like a holy woman this year. This won't be easy for me. There are many weaknesses that hinder my ability to be more than I can be. But in all honesty, this week has been different for me. Maybe not so much in my actions but I have thought differently. And if I continue to think differently, my actions will soon come in alignment.

Snowballin'

Second dance date for Kiersten and she got to hang with her cousin Scott on this one. How fun. I'm so excited for the day Erik gets to join them in a couple of months.

This Snowball Dance was a girls preference. Kiersten and her friend Cambree swapped dates from homecoming, and Kiersten convinced our neighbor Hannah to join them by asking Scott. And then her friend Rachel needed a group to join. Kiersten always has fun people to hang with and they're always doing crazy things. I am just so grateful that she feels comfortable bringing her friends to our home. I love it and hope they feel comfortable in our home.

No dress shopping was involved with this dance. We had a hand-me-down that's been hanging in her closet for several years, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to reveal itself.

This particular group of girls have been driving for a little over a year. Kiersten's six-month probation was up on Saturday, giving her free legal license to be the chauffeur. No biggie, right? Except this dance was at the University of Utah. Oh my mother heart skipped a beat when that little bit of trivial information was relayed to me. I knew all I could do was just pray and put it in the Lord's hands that they would make it there and back safely. It was only several weeks ago that Kiersten drove to the temple by herself, with no adult supervision. And now she was going to have seven other passengers to be responsible for through downtown Salt Lake. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. And many thanks for cell phones that allowed her to text me when she was leaving so I could count the minutes until they arrived home. No mishaps. Or at least none that they are willing to divulge to me.

The date began with a trip to the DI to find the craziest, wackiest outfit for $10.

Oh, I'm afraid Kiersten and Cameron took first prize on that one. Kiersten even scored a pink bra out of the deal.

Dinner was hosted by Hannah's mom, Kathie, in her dance studio and then off to the dance to return several hours later to our home to finish up with a movie. Those girls had their dates home before they turned back into pumpkins at the stroke of midnight.

I am loving these dating years and we've only just begun.

Wisdom teeth and braces

It's been a week for teeth. Actually maybe two.

Nate got braces the first day back from Christmas break.

And Erik lost his wisdom teeth the first day of a 4-day weekend.

The other option is to get them out in the summer. I personally think hanging out inside when the weather outside is frightful is much more to be desired than the alternative.

He was so nervous going in. Everyone he talked to about it said it was the worst experience. Twenty minutes after taking him away, the nurse came to get me. He was done. Seriously, wisdom teeth out in twenty minutes just doesn't seem right. Erik had no need to be nervous; he kept repeating, "That was great!" I think he meant the drugs were great. All he recalls is the needle they stuck him with and then he was out.

Mr. Funny doesn't remember any of our conversations or the video I took even though he insisted he was awake.

So far he's been subsisting on ice cream and jello and smoothies. A few days of discomfort is certainly better now than having to deal with them when you are 50 and the roots have entwined themselves in the nerve that runs along the bottom jaw. The nurse was telling me of how much worse they are to get out the older the patient is. Plus missionaries are advised to have them removed before going on a mission, especially if you might go to a third-world country. You certainly don't want to get there and have dental issues that can't be taken care of easily. Erik's x-rays showed the top coming in somewhat straight but the bottom were coming in sideways. Getting them out now means less to do for mission preparation.

We are two for two. Three more to go. Both Kiersten and Erik had all four. I only had one that my Uncle Russell pulled like a normal tooth when I was in college. No anesthesia for me. Tyler had all four. Time will tell if any of the others inherit my good fortune.

Christmas wrap up

It's a new year. A new sacrament meeting time. I love our 9am start time; not sure how the rest of the ward feels. My kids weren't especially thrilled about having to get up earlier this morning.

Christmas break is one of my favorites. No schedule. No real meal time. Sleep in. Stay up late. Watch a ton of movies (like Star Wars; seriously who hasn't seen the new Star Wars yet. Oh ya. Me. I went to The Good Dinosaur with Alex and Ash and fell asleep only a few times). Board games. Reading. No yard work calling to me (other than shoveling snow). I love it and use the time to catch up on some organizing and getting ready for a new year.

This Christmas was a pretty low key. That boy that asked for a calculator just to scratch it out and say never mind . . . well, he got one anyway. Turns out the one he found wasn't working.

Ash spent a few days coloring the annual Tooele Transcript coloring book in hopes of winning various prizes at the local stores. One day we got a call from Mountain West pediatrics. Ash had won first prize in the older age group. That coloring paid off to the tune of $30.

I worked feverishly for 2 days finishing up another blog book. That 40% off was quite alluring. But I did it and didn't even let myself peak at the finished product until Christmas morning.

For one of our family home evening activities we did a love language quiz. Erik's language of love is predominately gifts. So when his bottom retainer finally showed up in the mail a few days before Christmas, I took the liberty of showering him with love and wrapped it up. He may be smiling but I don't think he found it that hilarious.


Kiersten helped her friend Hannah ask cousin Scott to the "Snow Ball" coming up in a few weeks.

We caught up with our old friends the Goldens at both of our favorite: Texas Roadhouse. It was even Sharon's birthday and she was such a good sport to ride the saddle. Carroll is a big time scouter and made Erik promise him that he would get his eagle. I don't know why I haven't sicced Carroll on Erik before now.

And tomorrow starts a whole 'nother round of school and work.

It all started with a baby

Angie was scheduled to have her baby today, three days after Christmas. Instead she came on December 21, four days before. Little Autumn Noelle Carley. We hinted that they should have come up with a middle name that began with B and then her initials would have been ABC. Angie already stole both of my girl names.

When we were growing up, there was a TV show called Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Dr. Quinn's first name was Michaela. All three of us girls fought over that name. Unfortunately Tyler wasn't quite on board and we went with Kiersten, which fits her perfectly. Angie was free to steal our childhood name. Then Alex came along, although we didn't know if Al was going to be a girl or a boy. Tyler and I had decided on two names -- Alex and Autumn. Yep, Ang stole that one too. I guess I'm excited that someone used one of our favorites.

Two sisters: Makayla and Autumn, one very much in love with her baby sister.

Oh, a baby for Christmas just makes the whole season that much more magical. I took the girls for a visit and we were in love. Three weeks earlier Kiersten brought home Ezra Northrup Ruggles Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Pythagonus Charlemagne Muhammed Alpheus Ikemefuna, a fake baby for her child development class. That, by the way, is the name she christened him and is taken from a myriad of sources -- the Doctrine and Covenants; Mr. Henry, her history teacher; and English books. Oh, her poor children. We've had a long chat about how she is to consult her mother before naming any of her own children. I need to know that I can at least pronounce it correctly.

When she walked through the door with that crying baby, my heart melted. Oh how it sounded so real. So real that we even played dress up with the dress we were gifting to baby Autumn. After a few days of hauling baby everywhere, middle-of-the-night feedings, and constant attention, Kiersten was more than happy to hand him back.


Ash pretty much doted on that baby all weekend but refused to hold a real, live, squishy one when she had the chance.

Babies truly are gifts from heaven. And so are sisters.

Liquid gold

Our gift giving has commenced. Grandma and Grandpa came bearing gifts and stayed for a visit to watch Kiersten's orchestra performance.

They may not have brought frankincense or myrrh, but gold in the liquid form is pretty good stuff. Grandpa's bees bit the dust while they were away proselyting and left behind a glut of honey; we were the lucky recipients.

Shrieks of pure joy filled our house when the kids opened their box to find loaves of white bread. Um, Tyler and I have been spending too much if all it takes is a loaf of white bread to make them happy. I'm not a fan of white bread and therefore I don't buy it. So anytime it ends up in our house, my kids are in heaven . . . or when someone other than Erik brings the sacrament bread.

And what does Santa do with a letter like this:

It reminded me of the little story about the man who began praying for God to stop his fall as he was slipping off the roof. A nail caught hold of his pants, stopping him. He continued his prayer saying, "Never mind. I took care of it myself."

Never mind, Santa. Seems I don't need that calculator after all. Don't you think a smart kid would take care of his stuff so he wouldn't constantly have to ask for replacements. Notice the nice jacket item on there also? Yep. He can never quite seem to take care of his sweatshirts either. Well, the suspense has been building. Will Santa notice the change or not? Come Christmas morning I guess we'll find out.