Here it is April 20, 2022.  Much time has gone by and a lot of things have gone on.  

My father passed away on May 11, 2021.  He and my mother are now together in heaven.  Theirs was a sweet love story.  My father always tried to please my mother, almost to a fault.  I don't think he ever told her no in his life.  He really loved her and always wanted to do as she asked.  It gives me peace to know that they are together and someday I may see them again.  I hope as they look down from heaven that they are not too disappointed in me.  I have always tried to do what I was taught was right. 

We are still in our apartment, but will close on our new home next Friday on April 29.  We will begin moving the next day and hopefully be out before May 5.  We will be living in Clinton, Utah.  We built a home with Ivory homes.  It is a beautiful home and hopefully is a quality home.  The price of homes has gone up so much that we just felt lucky to be able to buy one.  We tried to purchase several homes in our ward area, but to no avail.  Most were purchased by people coming in from other states and they were able to buy them for an amount far above the appraisal values.  One even sold for 60,000 more than the appraised price.  We weren't able to compete with that and so signed to build this new home.  We signed papers on February 13, 2020 and it has taken until now to get it built.  Our price was held for us at the price we signed at.  Several builders cancelled their contracts, but Ivory held true and so we got a home with quite a bit of equity already.  

Parker and Jamie have moved into their new home in Huntsville.  It is a beautiful home.  They have hosted our family get togethers the last couple of months as we still are in the apartment and do not have room.  Before that Logan and Maria were hosting.  I think Oliver and Goldie are loving being in this home and being settled.  Oli has been making friends and Goldie is in Pre-school and is loving it.  They are such cute kids.  Jamie is now working for Parker and his business is doing good.  Parker has been losing some of his hearing and I am concerned about that.  We have been praying for him and hope that he gets the help he needs from the doctors that understand what is going on with him.

Sam and Parker's business is also doing good.  We just had to get a new machine as our workers got in a wreck on I-15.  It was stressful for Sam as he had jobs lined up that needed to get done. To get a new machine is usually a 4-6 month lead time, however we were very blessed to get a new machine out of Denver and we were only down for a week.  None of our workers were hurt in their accident and we were very blessed that although the machine was totaled no body was injured. 

Maddi and Chris are still in Washington and are doing well.  Maddison is pregnant with their 4th little girl.  They do girls well.  Chris just got promoted at his work and is a great provider, Father, and husband.  At some point I hope that they will move back closer to home, but for now we just are able to take vacations and go and see them.  Maddi is the Relief Society President in her ward and keeps busy with that responsibility as well as being a wonderful mom.  Maddi is due in August and I look forward to meeting this next little one.  The girls are growing so fast!  Leola will be in Young women's this January.  She is in middle school and is such a sweetheart.  I love spending time with her!  Emma is going to be baptized this July and we are going up to celebrate her beginning the covenant path.  I am so proud of her.  She is also such a sweet girl.  She loves color and has such a wonderful, happy personality.  She always wears colorful socks that do not match.  What a kid!!  Charlotte (Lottie) is growing so fast.  She is fearless and really loves life.  Of course being 2.5 years old makes life pretty interesting.  She loves their dog and it seems to be hers.

Logan and Maria have been doing good.  They have worked on their new home and have made it a lovely place to live.  I think they are very happy there.  They have made friends in their new ward and the kids have made friends.  They are in school and all do well.  They are such smarty pants that they are all at the top of their classes.  Maria is expecting another boy at the end of May or the first of June.  She has been miserable this pregnancy.  It has been a hard one on her.  Luckily Logan is able to be around and help her out more.  They have gone on numerous vacations to see her family and they spend most holidays with them.  I am glad that the are prospering and growing.  They have a cute family.  I love to go and see the kids play sports.  They are really good for their ages.

Hannah and Trevor still live in Logan.  Trevor has had a couple of jobs and is now working for a company that has him writing software for cabinets.  Trevor seems very happy.  He is a good dad to Juniper and a good husband for Hannah.  Hannah was making jewelry for a while, not sure that she is doing that much right now as Juniper takes up most of her time.  Juniper is almost 3 and is growing like a weed.  I love that little one so much.  She is such a sweet girl.  We have been able to have her stay with us while Hannah and Trevor have gone on vacations and such.  It is fun to have her with us.  She is smart too.  She knows her alphabet as well as can count to 20.  Hannah reads to her a lot and they do a lot together.  Hannah is a really great mom.  The one thing that I have been sad about is that Hannah and Trevor have decided to separate themselves from the church.  I'm not sure what initiated that, but hope that someday they will see that the Gospel is true and that they will return.  I also hope that they teach Juniper about her Savior and Heavenly Father.  

So that is such a small amount of what has happened in the last couple of years.  I love my family and feel that we have been enormously blessed.  I am grateful for everything that we have been blessed with!

Times ~ They Are A Changing!

Today as I sat listening to the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square, they were singing patriotic songs as next weekend is the 4th of July.  And it hit me how grateful I am to live in this blessed country.  There are so many things going on right now that would say that this nation is falling apart.  It is this unrest that gives me time to contemplate and think of all that I have been blessed with.  

I was raised in a home where my parents tried to give me the best possible things that would help me be a good person.  Someone that would try to serve and so what the Lord wanted.  And I have tried.  I have failed often, but I continue to try to do what is asked of me.  I was taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have tried to live it to the best of my abilities.  It is the one thing that is so constant in my life.  I know Heavenly Father loves me and that He also wants the best for me.  

I was blessed with a beautiful family.  I watch my children and how they are raising our grandchildren and I feel so much joy.  I have been blessed with the time and ability to watch and interact with them.  My family is the joy of my heart.  Sam and I have been so blessed.  Our children love their Heavenly Father and they try to do what is right.  I hope that they will always be a force for good here upon the earth.  That they remember their how blessed they have been.  They are raising the next generation that will bring about good here upon the earth.  In them lies our future.  I hope they are raised well.  That they have gratitude and know that they are blessed to be here in this blessed land. 

Sam ~ Sam has been my greatest joy and my greatest heartache.  He has been the champion of my heart and the sweet comfort that I have needed in this life.  He loves me and for his love I am so grateful.  We grew up together after we were married.  And he has taught me so much.  He is such a good example to me and our children.  I remember getting into the habit of daily scripture study because he was doing it first.  It taught our children how to read better and it also instilled in them a love of their Savior.  Those memories are wonderful to be able to reflect upon.  He taught our children how to tie their shoes and how to sound out words.  He taught them that perseverance pays off.  He is still teaching that to them as he is trying again to begin another new business.  He is happy!  I always hope he is blessed with happiness in this life.  He is a good man and I love him with all of my heart!!  I am grateful that we are sealed for eternity.  That when this life is over we can be a forever family in the courts of our Heavenly Father and serve Him there.

I have always loved going to the Temple and doing the work there.  I have missed it since it has been closed and I cannot wait until it is open again so that the work can be done that is there to bless our lives. I miss doing those things and feeling the peace that is there.

I have always been blessed with beautiful homes to live in.  Right now we are in an apartment, but it is still a beautiful home.  Sam has always been so good to provide a nice place for us to live.  

As Sam and I sat and talked this morning about all of those protesters and rioters that are being such a scourge right now.  They are a plague to this country.  They are not satisfied to cause contention, they would ruin everything and everyone with their wickedness.  Satan is really running amuck right now trying to topple good people everywhere.  But he will never do it!  Our Savior and Heavenly Father will be the winners at the end of this struggle of good and evil.  

The government is full of wicked people right now.  They would wield their power in unrighteousness and  try to make others submit to their will.  They have shut down things through fear and making people unsure.  We as a people need to have Faith and remember where our blessings come from.  We need to stand for righteousness and do what our Father inspires us to do.  There is so much good to be done, if only people could see that.  If they could remember the blessings of our Father in Heaven in their lives.  

There are people that want to tear down symbols of our history and pretend that history never happened.  But it did and they cannot change that.  We need to learn from it and become better.  We need to stand in holy places and not be moved.  There are so many blessings that this nation has been blessed with.  It is truly a miracle that we have been partakers of.   

I look forward to a time of peace and joy.  Living in happiness with our family.  To be able to put my arms around all of those we love and tell them what a blessing they have been in my life and will continue to be so.  My heart is so full today, I have truly been blessed in my life.  And even though times are rough right now, I feel peace in my heart and know all will be well.