Category: Motherhood

Rest

With Mark gone about 3 days a week, I find that my days are empty, just a preview of how it will be when he leaves.

I am not looking for advice or sympathy. In fact, if someone offers it, I bristle.

While expected, this phase has surprised me with its hollowness. My time with my children at home is ending and I don’t feel drawn to do anything. All those things I said I would do later have simply stopped calling.

I feel weary, but more aware and more wise.

My days feel hollow, but personally, I am intact.

I just want to be completely still all of the time. I could take time to really develop this thought, but that would interrupt the stillness that I crave. Here is a simple explanation.

In music and in life, there are necessary rests, pauses, and changes in theme.

The best way I can express it is that I have come to a point of arrival in my song that requires a pause. A rest.

Soon, I will pick up a new theme or begin a new movement. But now, during this scorching summer, I seek rest.

Montana and Glacier National Park

We stayed in Whitefish, Montana in an Airbnb called 3 Bears Cottage. It was adorable.
In the evenings we sat outside and read, then watched movies before bed. One night we watched an action movie. The next night we watched Mall Cop. Mall Cop was better than the action movie.
It was a serene place to stay.
We had one day to see Glacier National Park. We took the day to drive the Going To the Sun Road, 51 miles of narrow winding road each way. The views were beautiful. There were red touring cars all along the route. To drive this road west to east, you need a reservation. Richard secured our reservation many months in advance.
The water was so blue.
Mark is always in search of rocks in the water.
We are getting splashed by the waterfall in this shot.
Waterfalls were everywhere, some right next to the road.
We couldn’t find parking at the top for the high line trail, so Richard and I drove down the road while Tim and Mark hiked.
I believe this is the most beautiful picnic site I have ever seen.
This water was full of colorful rocks. Someone called them “fruity pebbles.”
We saw two bears on this day, one near our cabin, and one in Glacier. Both bears crossed the road right in front of our truck.
We broke up the drive home by staying one night in Island Park, Idaho, where we borrowed a friend’s side by side and drove to this beautiful place with crystal clear water.

It took all day to drive through Montana each way. Highlights were the big lakes, but a lot of the time Montana reminded me of Nevada. We were able to finish our audiobook in northern Utah, and when we got home, I felt some withdrawal symptoms from not hearing our British narrator all of the time.

Well done, Richard, on the planning and work you did for this trip!

Yellowstone 2024

We drove into Yellowstone on Tuesday and visited much of the park that day. Yellowstone is familiar, but still my favorite. We stayed in a lodge at Old Faithful, which meant that we could explore until bedtime.

People lined up to take photos at this spot at Artist’s Point. A crowd of people surrounded the person taking our photo and told us encouraging things, “This will be your Christmas card!” And, “Will you send one to me?” “That is a great shot!” People can be so nice.
Taco salad picnic
A little view of Old Faithful for those who haven’t seen it in a while.

Jackson, WY and Grand Teton National Park

I’ve decided to post photos from our trip in portions over the next few days because this seems to be the best way to honor the great planning that Richard did for this trip. Our days were full and we slept soundly every night.

The first leg of our trip was through Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. We began our audiobook of the trip, The Fellowship of the Ring, read by Rob Inglis. It was a great backdrop for our adventures in the hills and mountains. We tried different narrators, but he was our favorite.

We left on Sunday after church and enjoyed a picnic dinner in a mountain campground before continuing our drive to Jackson. We loved driving through the beautiful Star Valley as the sun set over the very green fields in this open valley. The Star Valley Temple was right on the main road through town.

On Monday morning, we drove into Grand Teton National Park. We couldn’t stop for everything, but we tried to locate the most interesting places.

One of our early stops was a group of pioneer houses called “Mormon Row.”

This view of the Snake River and The Grand Tetons was made famous by Ansel Adams, and it seemed to be Mark’s favorite view at the park.

In the line of the Teton Mountains, Mount Moran seemed the least of them until we drove a little closer and discovered how beautiful its reflection was on the water.

During the afternoon, the men went on a white water rafting trip. I rested in the hotel room because I am exciting like that.

In the evening, we went on a wagon ride to a chuckwagon dinner just outside of Jackson. The wagons were pulled by draft horses and we chatted with people in our wagon from Huntsville, Alabama and San Francisco, California. There was a live band with a fiddler and guitars for entertainment at dinner. I think the favorite parts of dinner were the beans and the cookies.

The boys shopped for shirts, hats, and candy in town.

This was a great first day of vacation.

Army

Oh. My. Heart.

I saw this image from the upcoming release of the film about Helaman’s army and it really affected me. This story from the Book of Mormon has found new pockets of meaning throughout the years of my motherhood. Even in these final months with a child at home, this story has fed my courage and resolve to be a valiant mother.

In family life, I have needed to be creative and determined in order to teach the gospel. Even now, as the last child moves outside my orbit, I am trying new methods, hoping to reach him in more effective ways.

Over the years I have learned to be more vulnerable and brief in my teaching, distilling my words to bring the most impact. No lecturing, no ranting, just direct, clear ideas are the goal.

I want my faith to be clear to them because their battles are real.

Mark’s Senior Piano Recital

Well, we made it to our last piano recital, and it was a big one. It was a solo recital for Mark, and he played seven pieces.

I have heard nearly every practice session of Mark’s life in our home (11 years of lessons), but Richard and I enjoyed hearing his pieces played on this magnificent piano. Knowing all it took to get to this point made us really appreciate his interpretations and his growth as a musician and a person.

We had 44 in the audience. I wasn’t expecting that many, and we are touched that people came to cheer for Mark. Piano study is usually pretty solitary, unlike sports or band. So, having family and friends fill the recital hall to give one last hurrah for our youngest pianist made this a joyful night.

Work

Mark hopes to spend a few days a week this summer working at Spring Lake. Last week, he left on Tuesday afternoon and came back Friday evening. I heard very little from him. This was the text exchange of the week,

I am thankful to my parents who welcome Mark to come and learn new skills.

Discovery

A few weeks after Mark’s Prom, I discovered a backpack he had carried that evening in a corner of our mudroom. There were a few objects still inside, and I smiled to see some of what he had collected in order to be prepared: antacids, safety pins (only one remained when the evening was over), toys for entertainment if they had a long wait at the restaurant, snacks, a toothpick, a pencil, and dental flossers for braces. He also carried an umbrella and some other things.

I took a picture to remind myself that Mark knows how to prepare for a journey and that he knows how to take care of himself and others. This is a comfort to me.

Just a list today

Enjoyed: an evening at Young Women’s camp with the bishopric.

Finished: 18 pages of visa application forms and instructions with Mark.

Played: a piano and violin duet on Sunday with Mark at church.

Wrote: a song for Primary Day Camp for guitar, voices, and percussion.

Struggling with: sleep while Richard has been away at Young Men’s camp.

Looking forward to: Mark’s senior piano recital.

Preparing: pepperoni rolls for dinner.

Loving: strawberry season.

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo.

Collecting: so many screenshots of our grandson during video calls. 😍

Procrastinating: weeding the back flower bed.

A current favorite Book of Mormon phrase: “Publish peace.”

And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth.

Mosiah 27:37