youngest son married

Our youngest son just got married. It has been a truly wonderful time. It really helps that his choice in an eternal companion is such a sweet person. I can see how much they love each other and what a good couple they make.

We have been so very blessed in our childrens choices in marriage partners. Each one has made such good choices and our family has been blessed by each addition to the family.

Each person adds so much in the talents shared and the different abilities within the family.

We are very blessed to have each of our children and their families close by. For as many of us as there are, that is a real blessing.

It is so good to have a new addition to the family. We look forward to getting to know Jessica better and to see her and David progress and grow in their life together.

I love family blogs

I love our family blogs. I check them each day and enjoy reading the thoughts and ideas being shared. They are as varied in content as are each person. I love the humor and insights shared. Some make me laugh, some make me think and some make me so very thankful for family. I love the pictures. As a not so talented picture taking person, I love those who do pictures and share them. These blogs have been such a great way for talents to be shared. I don't always respond to each post but I do enjoy each one and don't feel my day is complete without checking for each days newest tidbits.

Back where I started from

I have to chuckle. Heavenly Father definitely has a wonderful sense of humor. Sunday I was called to teach in Primary. It has been years since I have served with the little guys.

The first calling that I had when I joined the church was in Primary. I remember it well. I had never taught before and was really nervous but figured, how hard could it be, they are 6 and in school and know how to sit and listen and behave, right??
I can laugh now but not then. I would come home near tears some (OK most) weeks. I was awful and so were they. For those who know me, I am pretty stubborn. I was not going to let a bunch of 6 year olds get the best of the situation.
Being stubborn has it's advantages. If Heavenly Father called me to that class then He would help me to do whatever it took to do it. He had something for me to teach and some things for me to learn, then I just needed to find out what.
Those poor kids had alot to put up with while I learned what I was supposed to be doing. I would pray and teach, pray and teach and pray some more.
It was a miracle. As I got better, they mysteriously got better. As I learned to love them, they responded in kind.
By the time I was released, those were my kids and it was really hard to no longer be their teacher.
I treasure those memories and can truly laugh at myself and am so very grateful to Heavenly Father for giving me that special time in Primary.
I haven't been in Primary in years. I must admitt it was somewhat of a culture shock after all this time.
It didn't take long for the old instincts to come into play. I got home and read the lesson for next week. There was a short shifting (OK grinding) of gears to get into the child mode from teaching youth and adults for so many years.
I went to the church web site to look up Primary. They have changed alot since I was in there. I read through it all and now have an idea of what to do and not to do. I certainly don't want to embarrish my grandson and my two Murphy girls.
I went on line and ordered my very own brand new manual . (I tend to make notes in my manuals) plus I needed the pictures and stuff that go with the lessons. I have ideas on how to set up a filing system for the visual aids for the upcoming lessons.
I also ordered the childrens song book and CDs with words and music. The brain doesn't pick up on things as fast as the kids and if the teacher doesn't sing, the kids will follow suit. I was frankly surprised at how many of the songs I still remember but there are new ones I need help with. Of course it really helps that kids don't care if you really can't sing.

Misty called that night. She told me that Madisen(who is in my class) told her mom that I was really strict. they decided that was probably where Mimi gets it (sorry Misty)When her mother asked her what I did that made her think I was strict, she said that I wouldn't let her stand up on the chair except if it was an emergency. How funny is that? At least she didn't say I was mean. Strict is better than mean. Right?
Sooooo, to make a short story looooog. I am back where I started, in Primary and will still have lots to teach and even more to learn. What an adventure.

Love Maiocampo the site

I really love Maiocampo the site. I like being able to go to one place and see everyones posts in one place. It saves me going to each individual site to see if there are any new posts.
Its great to have such talented family members who post such fun and intertaining things.
I don't feel like my day is complete without checking out to see what is new in the family.
You can always tell when someone is really busy and they aren't able to post for awhile. Then there are several posts at once and they catch up all at once.
It is such a great way to keep up on all of the family.
I especially enjoy the grandkids getting in on the fun.
Thanks again Barry. You know I like things simple and you have made it so easy for me to keep track of the family blogs.

the blessings of trials

Someone said once in a class that the day would come when we would give thanks for our trials and tribulations.
At the time I was young and new in the church and wasn't sure I believed it.
Now in my later years,I have come to see the truth of the statement.
Things have been very much an emotional rollercoaster lately with the health issues of my husband.
I am a person who wants answers and solutions. I would rather have a known bad to face and deal with than an unknown without any answers or solutions. I don't do well in limbo.
Now looking back, I can see the blessings of the past months. With concerns over his health, I found myself reevaluting day to day things. Things that seemed so important before became trivial.
He and I were able to discuss our fears and concerns and come away with a closeness and appreciation of what we are truly blessed with and that whatever the outcome, we could face it and deal with it together.
He has been the pessimist and I the optimist. There were times when the roles were reversed. At times when I felt pessimistic, he would be the comforter and point out the positive. It was pretty revealing.
Once we finally got some answers and have the assurance that it isn't the worst, it is as though the weight of the world has been lifted. There is a physical difference, a feeling of lightness and relief. You never feel as good as you do after being really sick. Feeling good is so much sweeter.
In reality, after months of limbo and frustrations with doctors and hospitals, I see so many things differently and have gained a better perspective of what is truly important.
Looking back, the blessings far outweigh the trials and I can say I am truly thankful.

always wanted to be a Mom

I always wanted to be a Mom.

When I was growing up, I was around girls who wanted to travel and see the world, who wanted to go to college and have a career, who wanted to wait to have kids until they were ready and then only have one or two so they could give them everything they thought they had had to live without.


I always knew I wanted to be a Mom and one day a Grandmother.

I grew up in a hard working family. You took whatever life gave you and made the most of it. My grandparents on both sides had been farmers. They had worked long and hard to make a living. There was no welfare programs or food stamps or anything like that. What you had was family.
I have wonderful memories of my grandparents. We visited them often. They were always a part of our lives. They raised their families and were there for them and when they got older, their families were there for them.
I was around babies most of my life. I knew how to feed and take care of them. I knew how to change diapers and babysat younger cousins often. Being a mom is what you did and I looked forward to the day to be able to have children of my own.

To me, being a Mom is what you did. Those other things were not necessarily bad things, it is just that I wanted to be a Mom more.

My Mother went to work when my Dad had two back surgeries and worked until after I was married. She did what had to be done and even though I missed her and hated her not being there, it was a part of life. She was a good Mom and did the best she could under her circumstances. She was a great example to me.

When i met and married my husband, he too had been raised in a home with a working mom. We did not want that if at all possible.
We were blessed throughout our lives that I was able to be home with our family.

Being a Mom was hard work and a challenge. I learned and grew and found joy in the process. I was blessed with great kids and they taught me so much along the way.

Even before my children were all grown and out of the home, I looked forward to being a Grandmother. It was not a negative thing to me. It did not mean being old, it meant having grandchildren and having the fun and joy of seeing them grow up. I couldn't wait to be a Grannie.

As my children grew up and married, I was blessed with wonderful sons and daughters-in-law. They too have been a joy. They are so talented and are raising great kids. They have each taught me many things.

I was not a perfect Mom, any more than my mother or grandmother were perfect before me, but I did the best I could under my circumstances. I loved it and am loving being a Grandmother. I do not regret not going to college or having a career.

I have learned more about what life is all about from my children and grandchildren. They are still teaching me and I am thankful for the privilege of being a Mom.

the love of reading

When I was a kid, television had just come out. The screens were small and only in black and white. We were one of the last families on our block to get a television.
Summers were long and boring. I learned to escape through books. My Daddy would take my sister and I to the library and we could check out as many books as we wanted. I remember bringing home literally stacks of books. I would sit by the window in my room (the coolest place where a breeze could be found {yes becasue it was also before airconditioning}) and escape into wonderful worlds outside my own.
My favorite books then were about animals. There was a particular author I think it was a really odd name like Klgaard. I think I read everything he ever wrote. I started out getting books with lots of pictures and then took on the challenge of all words.
One year in school we had to read so many books from each of several catagories such a non-fiction, biography, etc. Initially I didn't like reading outside of my favorite books but actually found myself enjoying some of the things that I read. I remember reading the biography of one of the men who was famous in Texas history and died in the Alamo. I read a book about bees and how the colony worked together. They really have a facinating world of workers, drones and queens. I read a book on pineapple plantations. I can still remember some of the things that I learned from those books that I would never have known and was surprised by how really interesting they were.
When I was in middle school I remember most of the girls reading romance novels. I read a couple and thought they were so very sappy and silly.
When I was first married, I didn't have alot to do and I would go to the library and get books. I liked Science Fiction by then and found a huge book that I decided to read just for the sheer challenge of it. It was one of those plots within a plot within a plot kind of books. It was Frank Hurberts Dune. I have since read it several times throughout the years. It tends to be somewhat on the negative side of human nature but I enjoyed finding answers to the mysteries of the plots within plots.
I read the Lord of the Rings series. Again because of the challenge of length. I read Gone with the Wind and fell in love with the character of Scarlet. Not necessarily becasue of her selfish side but becasuse of the strength and courage she developed throught the hardships she lived through.
When we were stationed overseas, my husband was gone for long periods of time on military manuvers. It was books that kept me company and from getting overly depressed because I was alone so much. The post library was a life line at that time of my life.
I have read Anne of Green Gables. There are actually 7 books in the series. I loved Anne. She had such a rough life but was resilient and willing to try new things. She was not a bad person but her imagination and zeal for life, got her into trouble all of the time. Her character helped me to understand my children so much better.
After I joined the church, I found that reading was a way to receive answers to prayers. Many times as I was struggling with a problem in my life, an answer would come through a book I was reading. Sometimes through a church book and just as often a non church book. I learned how wise the counsel was from Joseph Smith to seek knowledge from the best books.
Outside of the scriptures the book the Hiding Place by Corrie tanBoon touched me the most deeply. It had profound insights into dealing with incredible trials and yet trusting in the Lord and by doing so, overcoming where others came away bitter and broken.
I love the Janette Oke series. She has a way of telling a story of hardship and trial but through the love and trust in the Lord being able to find strength and overcoming the trials and obsticals of life.
I loved the Work and Glory series. I have read it several times. It too tells of people overcoming incredible odds through their faith and perseverence.
Reading has been a joy in my life. I am so thankful for the many many really good uplifting books that help one get through life and see the good that is all around us and to better understand ourselves and others around us.