Category: Family Time

Merry merry

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.

Down to the wire

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.

Thanksgiving

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.

Tender mercies Nov. 14-21

I was inspired by someone who keeps a gratitude journal to do my own this year. Here is what I wrote last week.

Sun 14

  • People were kind to Tim, and watched his talk online and came to the meeting and showed support in many ways.
  • Tim is now a missionary.
  • A beautiful sunset, a sign from heaven.
  • The S.L. children’s sacrament meeting presentation, singing The Spirit of God.
  • A visit from P and B from Austin.

Mon 15

  • Cute missionary vibes coming from behind the door in Paige’s old room, our home missionary training center.
  • A nice, slow day to recover a bit.
  • We shared favorite scriptures for family night. Mark: John 16:33; Tim (Elder Ross): Mosiah 4:11-12; Richard: D&C 121:7-8; Mine: Isaiah 61:1-3
  • Tim filled the house with piano music in the evening.
  • I am thankful for my journal to write in and to go back and read.

Tues 16

  • The recipe for stew that was the perfect comfort food after hearing Tim would be temporarily reassigned to Vancouver, Canada. (Not sad, just shocked and overwhelmed at having to get winter stuff so quickly.)
  • I shopped for clothing in the middle of the night and found things that would arrive before Tim leaves on December 1.
  • A Mitford novel to comfort me.
  • Daniel offered his mission coat to Tim.

Wed 17

  • Morning sunshine after a sleepless night
  • K.G. and family are recovering well from Covid. I have been worried about them.
  • I had time and clarity to finalize my presentation for stake Primary training.
  • I listened in to a missionary training meeting about obedience. It was so inspiring! Tim’s goodness fills the room. He is pleasant and happy.

Thurs 18

  • RJ was spared in an accident on the freeway.
  • I feel so blessed to work with my presidency. A and S taught and led with inspiration and power at the training meeting.
  • Richard helped me shop at Costco and arranged to have the oil changed in the car.
  • EL helped set up the technology for our training.
  • C put together beautifully packaged refreshments.
  • President T. from the stake presidency supported us by attending. He says the best things. “If Jesus came to your ward, I think He’d go to the Primary first.”

Fri 19

  • I sat down to write thank you notes. It took hours. People have been so kind to me.
  • An ailment I have felt for about 3 weeks just went away today.

Sat 20

  • We had an easy, straightforward trip to the suit shop to get a suit for Tim.
  • Both K. and M. came to dinner.
  • JB and JC listened and showed empathy.
  • I am thankful for the time I spent cleaning my pretty kitchen. It felt good to make it sparkle.

Sun 21

  • I was given strength and confidence to present my talk in a couple of wards.
  • Kind words from some people after my talk.
  • We spent time choosing music for our annual Christmas video and slideshow. I am so thankful for Paige and Tim’s help!

We have a missionary

What a full weekend we have had. Tim was set apart on Sunday as a missionary and we invited his two best friends to join us. I attended several Primary programs in addition to our sacrament meeting where Tim spoke. One Primary sang I Hope they Call Me on a Mission, and I was glad I was wearing a mask/tear catcher as those children suddenly reminded me of Tim at their age. He sang a solo once in a Primary program. He doesn’t remember singing this solo, but his clear voice is a vivid memory for me, 🎵An angel came to Joseph Smith, and from the ground he took a sacred record hidden there, a precious, holy book.🎶

He will train from home for two weeks and enter the Provo MTC on December 1. His target date to fly to Guam is December 29, but like you, we have been trained to be really flexible and prepared for things to shift.

Autumn vibe

Current light in my house is in the shades of orange and yellow, and I am a project-driven maniac. Fall is my time. It is when I was born. It is when I get things accomplished. Mission list? DONE. Christmas presents? Almost DONE. Neighbor gifts? BOOM! November and December, I am ready. Bring all you have to ask of me. Bring it all: a missionary, home MTC, Primary programs, speaking and training assignments, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Thanks to a healthy and productive October I am more prepared face all the things, and have a cushion of time for the goodbye. I fall apart sometimes, and it isn’t all perfect, but I know God has been in the details of this season.

Sunbeams again

2014, right after a Primary program

Our Sunday dinner question was inspired by all of the Primary programs I have been attending lately. I asked everyone to tell us what their Sunbeam-level talk would be, which is basically a simplified version of something we believe, as a 4-year-old might say it. This made us feel surprisingly vulnerable, but I loved the responses.

Tim: “I like reading the scriptures.” (Pronounced without any “R’s”)

Mark: “I like my family.”

Richard: “Jesus wants us to be kind to one another.”

Angela: “Jesus Christ is my hero.”

Michael: “Families can be together forever.”

Paige: “The pretty fall leaves help me feel Heavenly Father’s love.”

Daniel: “Heavenly Father helps us when things get hard.”

McKenna: “Jesus makes things less scary.”