The school district has scheduled many remote learning Fridays due to Covid, and there isn’t much for Mark to do on these days. Richard and Mark have used the time to ski. I think that in this less than ideal situation, it’s an excellent solution to the dilemma of how to cut down on screen time. They come home good pals, and then we get takeout for dinner. Good times.
These guys took a quick trip to St George to install some seat covers, eat some good food, and enjoy the great company of Richard’s parents and family.
The crunch the snow makes after resting on a hillside for a few weeks; the sight of deer tracks right beside my own; cousins, belonging; singing songs without knowing all the words (🎶hmm, ba da da da ma da, Madrigal! 🎼Under the surface, hem en em en em a…whoa oh oh oh!)
Our afternoon at Spring Lake.
I take part in very different experiences depending on how much news I allow into my head. Again and again through this pandemic, I find a great contrast in our personal experiences compared to the picture painted by other voices. I don’t deny the real suffering going on, but I don’t have to open the door and invite it in all the time. I don’t think our minds are equipped to handle the amount of information in the constant news cycle.
We definitely don’t go out as much. We are blessed with pretty good internet and a home with lots of space. Richard still works from home in the basement office. I am mentally preparing for remote learning for Mark as case numbers rise. The pandemic continues to push us home, and I am doing what I can to make it pleasant. Without question, we are profoundly blessed.
We all enjoy giving and receiving presents. But there is a difference between presents and gifts. True gifts may be part of ourselves– giving of the heart and mind– and therefore more enduring and of far greater worth than presents bought at the store.
James E. Faust
I have been touched by many gifts this Christmas. Paige made drawings of Daniel and Tim at age three to complete my little collection of drawings of our children. Daniel may not consider this as part of his already generous gift and precious letter to me, but his piano accompaniment of the piece I played in church was a beautiful gift. Tim hand wrote long letters to each of us and made sure I had a gift from him under the tree, even though he wasn’t with us this year. Mark gave me a CD of music that he doesn’t enjoy himself, and was my companion for so many errands for Christmas giving. His service and company was so important to me this year.
It isn’t always possible to do something meaningful, but I know when I give “of my heart and mind,” the Spirit of Christmas fills my soul.
Today Paige and Michael celebrate their anniversary. Their presence in our lives is a gift and blessing.
There are things we do to mark the days leading up to Christmas. We have a few Advent calendars, and the little house Advent on my windowsill is one of my favorite new things. There are concerts and the annual trip to Temple Square. My hands have handled many Christmas cards and neighbor gifts, given and received. Most years, I embroider a doll or two for people who are grieving. I made some extras this year since 2021 has been rough for so many people. Today, the husband of someone I gave a doll to this week stopped me and thanked me for the comfort it gave to him. Who knew?!
I received a beautiful gift basket that I wouldn’t let my family open for days because I thought it was so pretty. A week went by, and I finally got around to unpacking the gift. In the bottom of the box, beneath some paper and wrapping was a silver ring with a “T.” I knew this was not intended for me, and tried to find the owner. I was successful, and the woman quickly came over to get her ring that she lost while assembling the box. The ring had the initial of her son who is serving a mission, and she prayed that she would find it. Another tender mercy for a missionary mom.
I might need a “T” ring myself.
My hands have been busy with other things, and today I am only writing as long as I have to wait for Mark to come out of a meeting. Oh, here he is. Merry merry Christmas, my friends.
This tradition we associate with Tim, our Christmas time baby. He built quite a mansion this year.
I don’t think I will be posting anything more this week, and maybe not next week. Sending love to you.
Today is preparation day for Tim, the day he will need to do his laundry, pick up a new suit and dry cleaning, and get his car back on the ground so we can drive it during his mission. He sold all his vehicles but this one. This one holds so much of his time and labor, I don’t blame him for not wanting to get rid of it.
I cleared away all the autumn stuff yesterday and Mark and I put up all of our Nativities and two trees. Tonight we decorate gingerbread houses to celebrate an early birthday for Tim.
We have tried to be quiet for MTC classes and I never know how long Tim will have for dinner, but I feel pretty good about our family’s role in helping Elder Ross on the first leg of his mission. We haven’t been super spiritual, we have just tried to be helpful and available. Routines have definitely been rocked during the past few weeks, and I am giving myself a measure of grace for not being a monument to family gospel study. With so many unknowns and a rotating schedule, we have scraped through with prayer and a few verses of scripture. We made a gratitude display with scriptures and things we are thankful for. When the kids were younger, we definitely did more than this. I think on this a lot, and haven’t arrived at a strong conclusion about why, or how we can fix things. One truth is that our teens don’t want to engage in conversation with the whole family. It is more of a one-on-one phenomenon when it happens. There is no magic solution to every problem once a home becomes a “missionary training center.” Another truth is that our home has been an MTC all their lives, whether we realize it or not. The piano practice, gospel study, togetherness, and learning to work and serve, it is all there.
We take our places in line together, one, two, three, last time. As we send Tim off to serve, once again our photos won’t be complete for a while. I have been thinking how the pandemic has lengthened our experiences with our children. Everything in our lives shifted, and we have been together more than we imagined we would at this phase in our lives. We have been given time, precious, unexpected, fortifying time, for which I am so thankful.
