Mourning and Peace

for Maria and Thelma

My heart aches for my neighbor. Her mother passed away this morning. Richard and I visited the hospice facility last night. What a very peaceful place. We were grateful and honored to be included at this very sacred family time. I sat up late last night, thinking. I wrote a poem. I won’t share it here, but in the writing of it, I felt peace, thinking about eternal things like family, faith, and life…not the mortal life we all struggle through, but the life that defines who we are, whose parent is our Creator. The something within us that never dies, but continues on after our bodies fail. I also felt more gratitude for the Savior’s victory over death so all of us can be whole again. And dear neighbor, I know we can be together with our loved ones again.

Our Father in Heaven is a personal God, who attends to the needs of each of us. In ways deep and also minute, he comprehends our pain and knows how to make it all better. He sends us family and friends in whom we can find comfort. He sends his Spirit to be with us, to comfort, guide, protect, and teach us. He sent his Son to eliminate the finality of death and the chains that sin would bring.

I love these words, spoken about those who dwell with God. Notice who personally comforts them.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” – Revelation 21:4

Teenage Paige

birthday garland

We love celebrations around here. Today we celebrated Paige. If you asked me if I’d like something sentimental and even a little unnecessary, my answer would be, “Yes, and make it a double.” I made a fabric garland with an embroidered “Happy B-Day” for the annual birthday decorating-of-the-door. This hour-long project fulfilled a temporary whim to have a magazine life. You know, the kind of life with handmade fabric garlands and children dressed in white? My children don’t own much white, so that just left the fabric garland to make all my dreams and hopefully Paige’s dreams come true. (Check!)

The boys and I treated Paige to a day of pampering: new nail polish, her own make-up kit, a trip to the hair salon and a trip to the mall for some new clothes. The boys entertained themselves on the escalators and with the really high number of rubber bands on the floor of Old Navy. We came, she tried things on, we conquered. Paige looks great.

After dinner, we ate raspberry filled birthday cake with fresh raspberries atop.

Most of all, we were together and happy and glad to have our Paige. Are you ready to see the Teenage Paige?

Ta da!

Prima Ballerina

ballet

This is Paige at age 5 posing with the ballerinas from the Nutcracker Ballet in 2001.

Paige danced around the house from the time she could walk. We took Paige at age 5 to the Nutcracker wearing a dress as close to a tutu as we could create. She sat quietly through the show, enchanted by the beautiful dancing. At one point she leaned over to me and said, “I love the ballet so much, I just want to go up on stage and dance with them!”

Paige didn’t like to leave my side when she was young. I worried about that a little when I decided to sign her up for ballet lessons, beginning on her 6th birthday. She still talks about that first day of ballet like it was the day her life began.

Anyone who has seen her dance knows that she has a special gift.

Ballerina Sarah

Tonight Paige learned that she has been chosen for the second year in a row to dance the lead role in Oh Holy Night. What I thought was a once in a lifetime experience for her (and for me, too) will be repeated. This time I’ll bring my tissues. I’m sure I’ll need them.

Sparks

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Grandpa had lots of hugs and smiles.

Grandma

Grandma made us lunch and told us all the news from Susan, who is now able to have chemotherapy and has been moved to a care facility.

scheels ferris wheel

Grandma took us to Scheels and we rode their indoor Ferris wheel. I’m clinging to Timothy for dear life in the yellow seat at the top. Daniel and Paige are in the red seat.

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Jeanne entertained us with ping pong, croquet, and blackberry picking.

blackberry picking

blackberries

ready to wave dishtowels

We waved our dish towels and said good-bye to two of the greatest grandparents ever. We would have taken Grandpa with us, but Mark was worried that Grandma would be lonely.

Grandma Ruth

Grandma Ruth, Angela, Paige

We visited Grandma Ruth on the next stop on our trip. She made us a strawberry pie and served us rainbow sherbet. We sorted out 6 boxes of history during the day spent together. I came home with a journal from my Great-grandmother Cerie and many priceless pictures. Grandma Ruth is a cancer survivor! She looks great and has a beautiful new wardrobe in a smaller size.

Great-grandma Ruth

The classic Fisher Price Toys, books, puzzles, and back yard entertained the boys. Paige sat with Grandma and me all day. Richard buried his head in some of Grandma Ruth’s books while watching Mark.

out to eat

And of course we ate out. Uncle Jay and Aunt Nora and Christine joined us.

It’s been 5 years since the kids and Richard visited Grandma’s home (and a year and a half since I was there). I was so happy we were able to visit.

Protected: July Sahuarita Saga (use my middle name)

Newport Beach Highlights

Dale and Lorraine Ross and all of their posterity. Beaches are great magnets for attracting people to a family reunion. And even the in-laws have a good time. I did.

The 9 and 10 year old cousins were inseparable.

Timothy made a sand castle. He helped collect 157 sand crabs in one day.

More of Mark’s Wave Revelry. Look at my arms getting toned trying to keep him from getting swept away.

Sushi tonight, anyone? We found so many critters in this washed up bunch of seaweed. It was really fascinating.

A secret club with its own language and code names was formed by the cousins. Timothy approached me one afternoon and said, “Mom, I’m in a secret club. Do you want to know my code name? It’s Tiki! And Daniel’s code name is Big D and…” His cousin Lizzie, passing by added, “And my secret name is Abba!” So much for keeping it secret… I later found this paper plate with the minutes of one of their top secret meetings written on it.

We brought a nice tent to shade Grandma and Grandpa and the babies. The tent is Richard’s pride and joy. That and its accompanying sand bags to keep it stationary. I like this picture a lot.

Richard with all of his siblings minus one out in the ocean.

Ladies, that guy is All Mine.

San Bernardino

Redlands Temple

San Bernardino was the beginning and the end of our long vacation. We stayed with Mom and Dad (President and Sister S.) over the first weekend and again on our way home. Sister S. commented that the kids seemed just as happy at the end of the trip as the beginning. No wonder. They spent 2 weeks being loved by parents of the grand and great-grand variety.

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We met a charming balloon artist at the Rainforest Cafe. Mark loves his new bunny, Chatter.

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We loved the handcart rides. So did the neighbor kids who hopped in to join us.

Valley boys and girl

Darling, yes?

Timothy

Timothy tried out the little pool.

Daniel

Nice one, Daniel!

Mark

And of course, little brother joined in the fun. Meanwhile, Paige was upstairs sketching and making a beaded bracelet.

MP and SS

We love you all the way to the moon!

And thank you for the doughnut tip: Tailor Maid doughnuts are superb. Thanks for the nice visit.

We are so amazed at all you do. We think you are doing A Great Work.

Lessons in Simplicity

It’s our first day home from vacation. I’ve spent all my time today doing laundry, answering e-mails and making decisions my vacation-paced brain is not ready to accomplish. While on my trip I wrote a few journal entries about things I had learned on a two week vacation at the beach and on the road (2500 miles). Tonight I think I’ll share one of these thoughts with you.

One lesson from the trip was Simplicity. There is something to be said about keeping our belongings and distractions to a minimum. I spent a lot of time with Mark with waves and gulls as our only entertainment. I walked and ran up and down the beach with that boy until my feet were calloused from the sand. My thoughts didn’t stray to other things when I was with him; I was all his, and we let hundreds of waves lap at our feet and we sank into the sand as the water washed away.

Our beach house was equipped with only a few dishes. And how nice; it meant just a few dishes to wash. I decided that my house feels decadent after such a simple week. The closets full of sheets and blankets seem excessive; the multiple sets of towels: an indulgence that weighs me down and makes me more busy than I need to be.

So, tonight I am too tired to post more pictures, but I want it to be said that I want to be more like I was on the beach; accessible, unfettered by excess, not unnecessarily burdened with worries.

My house is still a joy to me. We walked in and the familiar paintings and belongings are here and it feels good. But after a few weeks of living out of a suitcase, I find myself more aware of and impatient with all the THINGS I lift around the house all day. It’s kind of like I’m living a farcical tale about a person who spends her days shuffling objects from room to room and thinks that the organization and neatness of those objects will make her happy. I took a step away from that life and I’ve come back disenchanted with it.

These thoughts are certainly not as profound as Anne Lindbergh’s Gift from the Sea, but I think they are worthy of some action… Like a good trip to the donations bin at the church.

Thinking of You

Yes, dear reader (family & friends), I am thinking of you on our vacation and I will be posting again soon. But this vacation I have sworn off blog work. I’m off to play at Grandma Ruth’s today with family heirlooms and photos and memories.