The Big Day

I haven't posted anything for quite awhile because life has been more than just a little bit crazy.  So many things have been going on, but the biggest, of course was Ashley's wedding.  Ashley went on her first date with Jim in November, they officially started dating in December, got engaged in March, and got married on the 12th of June. It all seems like a bit of a blur, but a really good blur. :)  Funny thing is the first time I saw Jim, before they were officially dating or anything, I thought to myself that she was going to marry him.  Then I told myself that I was being ridiculous because there was no way to know that and who knew if we would even like him. Turns out that we do like him, and love that he brings out the happy in Ashley.

Breanna explaining how she started calling him Barbara.  Long story...

The wedding dinner was the evening before the big day.  It was great.  We had it at the Farmington Community Center and Jim's Mom made a ton of salads and cakes, and they had smoked pork sandwiches too.  It was really yummy and so nice to have it so close.  There wasn't a huge program or anything.  Jim's Dad said a few things, and everyone introduced themselves.  Then Tony said a few things and read a letter to Ashley from Alexis.  (The hardest part of all of this wedding stuff was not having Lexie here!) The letter definitely made us all cry.  Heavenly Father cares about all of his children though, and he blessed Lexie to feel and be a part of what was going on in truly miraculous ways.

Thursday morning Ashley was all ready by about 9am, and we didn't need to leave until 10am.  She was bouncing all over the house for that last hour-full of nervous energy.  The temple was a busy place when we got there.  The Salt Lake Temple closed for most of the summer starting on the 23rd of June, so I think everyone was trying to get their weddings done before then.  But the temple of course is a house of order, and they have a system that makes it all work out.  Ashley decided to just wear her regular temple dress to be sealed, and she looked radiant.  You would be proud of me though, I did not totally lose it in the temple, or all day for that matter.  I got teary eyed here and there, but I think I held it together pretty well overall. :) I believe it was because I didn't feel sad at all.  I felt happy and at peace.  It was wonderful to be there with family and friends in the temple, I suspect it is kind of how the Celestial Kingdom will feel. It was 90 degrees when they came out of temple, of course it was the hottest day all week, and we had to wait a bit to get on the steps to take pictures.  They looked so happy, glowing actually.  It was a weird, wonderful and amazing thing to be a part of. After a few pictures we left to go help set up the reception.

And that is where the fun began.  For several days the forecast had 0% chance of rain, but then on Wednesday morning they added late afternoon, early evening thunder storms to the forecast, a bit of a problem when planning an outdoor reception.  We were trying to decide if we should still do it outside or if we should move it to the church.  We prayed about it, and Tony had given Ashley a blessing the week before that said the weather would cooperate.  We felt peaceful about it, so we decided to go ahead with the outside plan.  Julie, my sister, had worked like crazy to make her yard look fantastic, and we wanted to use it.  They are even building a house right next door that was supposed to be started the 1st of June, but they had to postpone it so it was still the pretty grassy field.  Anyway...we got there to put our stuff up, the banners, pictures and other little extras.  The wind was pretty bad though, and we were a little worried about how all the pictures and centerpieces were going to hold up with the wind.  It wasn't ideal, but we figured we would have to make it work.  At 4:30 we left to go home and change for the pictures at 5.  Well then there was the severe thunderstorm warning, you know the kind that they interrupt radio broadcasts for with all the beeping, yeah one of those.  By the time we got back there at 5:15 it was raining.  The door I made, had blown over and all the glass in the frames had broken.  The Ash fell off, and broke.  It kind of seemed like a catastrophe.  There was quite a  bit of family there by this point and Ashley's roommates and bridesmaids and some friends were there and everyone just went into immediate action pulling everything in the house.  All the pictures, all the tablecloths anything that would get damaged in the rain.  At this point I was a little frustrated and momentarily fearful I have to admit, but I pulled myself back together.  You could tell with the wind and how quickly it blew in and with the clear skies beyond the storm, that it was going to blow over quickly.  So we decided to have faith and make things work.  All of Julie's neighbors put tablecloths in their dryers.  They shook all the glass out of the frames for the door, and glued the Ash back together, and we glued it back on the door.  After the rain stopped squeegees and towels were brought out to dry off the tables and chairs.  The kids raked up the sticks that had blown on the yard through the crazy wind, and dry tablecloths were coming back from the neighbors.  With every one's help in less than a half hour the whole thing was set back up when guests started coming at 6:30.  Because of the rain we were a little slow getting pictures taken, so Ashley and Jim weren't with us in the line for the first little bit, but everyone understood that of course.  After the storm it was calm and almost no wind.  It was a beautiful evening and a lot of the people that came just stayed and enjoyed the beautiful yard and refreshments.  

So many miracles happened in that little amount of time.  That everything was able to be taken in and then put back out in that short amount of time is amazing.  It was like time stood still so we could get it set back up.  Everyone pitched in and was helping it was the coolest thing to see.  That door is solid wood, and it slammed to the ground on all those frames, but none of the frames broke, just the glass, so we just put it back together.    Normally when a storm like that blows through, Julie's yard is usually covered with sticks and branches and leaves that takes them an hour or so to clean up.  The younger kids were able to clean them all up in just a few minutes, and there were no sticks in areas that they have to clean up by hand.  So many little things that made it so that not only could we pull it off, but it looked beautiful still.  It was an experience that I won't forget.  I felt so much gratitude for everyone just helping out like that.  Overwhelming gratitude.  Ashley was great through it all too.  She was a little upset when the door blew over, but she decided to have faith in the Lord's promise.  She was great.  I guess you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.  It really was beautiful.  It just looked and felt beautiful.  So many people told us they were praying for us.  The Lord was watching out for us, I have no doubt.  The rest of the reception was perfect.  No problems.  The rain even cooled off the temps a little so it wasn't quite so hot. I guess the moral of the story is that the Lord doesn't stop the storms in our lives, but He always gets us through them. It was a joyful day!  Now I just have to be patient and wait for grandkids. :)

We had to have Lexie there!

Master, the Tempest Is Raging

On Friday night we went to the concert in the Assembly Hall.  Why? Well, because Latter Day Voices from the Logan Institute was performing.  Our daughter Ashley accompanies for the choir, and she was also doing a piano solo.  The songs they performed were either new songs or arrangements that have been submitted to the church.  There were some absolutely beautiful songs, that brought tears to my eyes, and this choir is amazing.  Beautiful sounding, but they sing with so much spirit and power.  What a wonderful experience it has been for Ashley to participate, but I digress.  The piano solo that Ashley played was an arrangement of Master, the Tempest Is Raging.  The arrangement was beautiful, and of course she did a magnificent job (and I am not too proud or anything), but I didn't think too much about it-until today.

As we talked about families today in church, I thought about the past year we have had.  Times when I have felt like Satan was waging a full scale war on just our little family.  Times when it felt like we might be losing the battle, that there was just too much for me to handle.  That I couldn't be strong enough.  Then I thought about all the blessings that we have received.  I thought about how I was so worried, but through it all Heavenly Father was right there fighting with us and always will be.  Then somehow the words to the song that Ashley played came into my mind...

Master, the tempest is raging!

The billows are tossing high!

The sky is o'ershadowed with blackness.

No shelter or help is nigh.

Carest thou not that we perish?

How canst thou lie asleep

When each moment so madly is threat'ning

A grave in the angry deep?

Master, with anguish of spirit

I bow in my grief today.

The depths of my sad heart are troubled.

Oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish

Sweep o'er my sinking soul,

And I perish! I perish! dear Master.

Oh, hasten and take control!

Doesn't that just describe life?  Sure we have momentary calm, but it seems that there are troubled waters all about us, threatening to overcome us.  We might even cry out, I can't do this!  I am sinking in this whirlpool of life!  But then if we are listening we hear the calm reassurance of Peace, Be Still.

The winds and the waves shall obey thy will:

Peace, be still.

Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea

Or demons or men or whatever it be,

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean and earth and skies.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will:

Peace, be still; peace, be still.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will:

Peace, peace, be still.

We aren't left to navigate these troubled waters alone. And if God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) The Lord is in charge, and because of that, I can have and do have peace.

Taking a break

 Tony has been working like crazy for the past year, trying to get his business up and running.  He is constantly working from morning until sometimes late at night.  It has been a stressful and challenging year. Add to all this stress the responsibilities of being a Bishop, and sometimes it seems that he just might spontaneously com bust or something.  Not really, but there is a lot of weight that he carries on a daily basis.  We try to do all we can supporting him and carrying what we can, but from time to time you just need a little break from the worrying.  Sometimes you just need to get away.  So...we did.  We have been saving our frequent flyer miles for awhile, hoping maybe to pick up Alexis this fall.  Being real though, there was no way we could go to Australia, for many reasons.  So I suggested we take a little weekend get away to sunny California, since our time was limited and it is close.  We were able to get a flight, hotel and rental car all with our miles, and who doesn't love a free vacation! We left Friday afternoon and returned Sunday evening.  Of course it was too short, but we enjoyed every minute of the sunshine and warmth and a few days of carefree relaxation for Tony. Here is our weekend in pictures:

Griffith Observatory

Beverly Hills

The Getty Villa

The Getty Center

Ronald Reagan Library

Tony's Birthday

Just a little shout out to my husband.  I met him for the first time a little over 24 years ago, and he just gets better with age! He has changed a lot through the years, his hair is thinner and gray, and he doesn't stand quite as tall as he used to, but honestly I like it that way.  We have earned those gray hairs together.  He loves me, he listens to me, and he makes me laugh.  He knows how to enjoy life, and be a spiritual giant at the same time.  He is strong when I am weak.  He supports me and encourages me.  He lets me drag him around to every "cool" thing I want to see on vacation.  He respects my ability to receive guidance and direction for our family, even if it means dragging the whole family cross country.  He's not perfect, but he is perfect for me. Happy Birthday, Tony!!

Heavenly Father Has Got Your Back

On Thursday, as I went out to check the mail, there was a green envelope with crazy stickers all over it, and some of the most beautiful handwriting I have ever seen.  It was a letter from Lexie!  (Can I just say that I love Australia!  The letter was postmarked on the 18th, and was in my hands on the 21st!  Bless them for having such a great postal service!)  Since she won't be here for Thanksgiving, she wanted to share with us why she was grateful.  She then proceeded to tell each one of us why she was thankful for us.  Of course I cried!  But I also laughed because she is funny, and faithful and just all around amazing. 

Love this girl!

She said something in the letter though that just stood out to me.  She told one of her siblings that she knew that Heavenly Father had her back.  It is so true.  He has all of our backs.  Just in the past couple of weeks I have seen His hand so often in our lives.  Answers to prayers, blessings, and even miracles.  Many "significant, but subtle" blessings, that have lifted me or members of my family through hard times, or just brought the simple reassurance that He is mindful of us and will help us through anything that comes our way.  Challenges are always around us, but I am so grateful to know who has my back.  I have full confidence in Him.

Thankful November

I see so many who post pictures or comments of what they are thankful for every day in November.  I think it is such a great idea, but let's get real- there is no way I would remember to do that every single day for a whole month.  That does not mean that I am not grateful though.  In fact quite the opposite is true. Just last night I was in tears at the immense feelings of gratitude that I had.  Truth be told I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  One of my favorite quotes from this past General Conference was from Elder Bednar.  He said, " A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment." I have much to be grateful for, I could not possibly list them all, but here are some of the things that stand out right now.

• My missionary daughter.  Hello, who is the parent here?  I feel like I learn more from her each week in her letters than I have ever taught her.  She is busy serving the Lord in Australia, but somehow she seems to know exactly what I  or one of her siblings need to hear.  She has been out 8 months already, and I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity she has to serve, and for the immense blessings that service has brought to our family.
• My 12 year old son.  Last night that moment I experienced was because of him.  The last home football game is Saturday, and he was supposed to go with his Dad.  However we have a big church activity Friday and Saturday.  We told him he could still go to the game if that was what he wanted to do.  He said he would think about it.  Well last night he told us he wanted to go the meeting on Saturday, where he has to wear a white shirt and tie!  I was amazed! Who chooses a meeting over a football game?  Once again the parent was taught by the child.
• My 16 year old bottomless pit of hunger son.  Last night he gave me a description of the varying degrees of hunger that he experiences.  The list took several minutes to describe.  He makes me laugh!  I love his sense of humor, and his genuine goodness.  Last night we were attempting to have a serious discussion about the 4th Article of Faith ( we decided as a family to memorize and study the doctrine of the Articles of Faith thanks to Elder Perry) and I asked what we needed to do to repent?  He immediately responded, "Sin."  I suppose some people might find that offensive, but I have had a rough few days, and I just laughed.  I am grateful that he always tries to lighten my load, and helps me not take myself too seriously. 
• Beautiful Breanna.  She is so kind and compassionate.  I love her sense of style, I love her obsession with One Direction.  I love that she is continuing the "hott man wall" that her sister Lexie started.  I love that she too can always make me laugh with her antics. I love that she helps me be more enthusiastic about life.
• My oldest and wise daughter. Last week she had her recital preview.  Stressful thing-you have to pass or you can't do your recital and then have to wait another semester.  She passed!!! So grateful. The recital is three weeks away. Can't believe I almost have a college graduate.  I love that she fights through really hard things with faith and determination, and is willing to accept the Lord's will for her.
• My husband.  I have had lots of opportunities recently to analyze our relationship.  And you know what I found out? I am one blessed lady.  I feel so grateful that we have 100% agreement on the things that matter in life and how we want to live the gospel.  We have disagreements, yes we have even fought, but we agree on the things that matter.  I appreciate his love and support, his patience to listen to me even when I am being irrational.  
•  General Conference.  After having read through all the talks now, I feel so blessed from the lessons I have learned.  It's like one of those gifts that just keeps on giving.
• Crunchy leaves!  I will go out of my way to walk through leaves right now.  We have several trees in our neighborhood that drop crimson and gold leaves all from the same tree.  They look so beautiful in piles on the sidewalk.  
• Music.  Isn't it amazing how music can convey a message that you just needed to hear.  I love that it can lift my spirits quicker than just about anything.  I was listening to this song the other day, it was exactly what I needed to hear.  You should listen to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoXoOq2aej8
• All my kids know all their grandparents.  3 of my 4 grandparents died before I was 5 years old.  My Grandpa Twitchell actually died before I was born.  I know I will get to know them later, and I look forward to that, but I am so grateful that my children have had the opportunity in this life to have their lives blessed by close association to their grandparents. So grateful!

I could go on and on (ok, so I probably already have...), but I just have to mention my gratitude for the Savior.  Not a day goes by that I don't rely on the Atonement and it's enabling power either for repentance or for strength to do what I could not do alone.  I am grateful that through the Atonement we can change every day to become more like Him. So for this, and so many other things, I am grateful.

Twelve Today!

When Grant get's excited about something, he can't stop talking.  He has been going non stop the last couple of days! Here's a look back at Grant through the years...

When we told the kids that I was pregnant with Grant, Jared was so excited to have a baby brother.  We didn't know at that point if it was a boy or a girl.  I said, "What if it is another sister?"  Jared looked me in the eye and said, "NO!"  They have always gotten along even with the age gap, although Jared is not big on snuggling anymore. :)