Weekend Adventure.

We left on Friday for a trip to St George. It started out more like a really scary adventure though. It had snowed most of Christmas and the roads the day after (at least around our house) were horrible! I am a somewhat cautious driver but snow doesn't usually scare me too much, but I have to say, I was truly half a mind to turn around and stay home. I was really looking froward to going to my parents house and to see my friend that moved to St George 2 years ago. So with Chet being ever so careful we continued on our journey. The farther into Salt Lake the worse the roads got. There were accidents and cars that had run into the cement wall all over the place. ( I hate the wall! It is not my friend!). We slowly made our way south, with Chet asking me what I wanted to do. Now that really wasn't a far question! I wanted to do both things! I was so nervous about the snow, but I really wanted to go to St George! We don't get to go there often enough. I told him we should get to Provo and see how the roads were there. When we got there, they weren't much better, but they were a little better so I told Chet we should go to Payson and see how things were. So we got back on the freeway and headed south yet again. The farther south we went, the better the roads got and by the time we got to Payson things were good so we were on our way! Thank goodness we made it in ok time and got to spend some time with my parents and then visited with my friend and her family. Including her son who went into the military last June and was home for a Christmas visit. It was so good to see everyone, I just wish we had more time to just hang out. This visit seemed a little rushed. I am so grateful for being able to visit at all though and that we were even able to get down and back safely. What a nice weekend adventure!
Thanks for the puzzle Mom, wish I could have helped more with it. This picture was off the deck at my parents house in St George! WOW, what a view. More snow than they usually ever have!

If you were wondering.

Just in case you were wondering how I came up with the name of my blog. This week pretty much summed it right up.
Let the list of madness begin. First this week, I slipped and fell on the ice at work. Got several bruises on my arm a stiff neck and back and smacked my head on the work van as I landed. Not fun. Then, Ford had his Choir concert on Tuesday, which Megan had to rearrange her work schedule to be able to attend, and I thought Chet was going to miss, because he was out of town working. (he ended up coming in about 2 minutes before the concert started! What a treat for ME and Ford). The NEXT day was Megan's combined orchestra, choir and band concert. I am not late to these things usually, and most of the time it wouldn't be any kind of deal, as there are always LOTS of seats empty. Well, NOT THIS TIME! I was late, only by about 8 minutes and still Ford and I ended up sitting in the nose bleed section of the auditorium. However, the concert was still really good. Megan's orchestra was the highlight of the concert for me! Oh, and at the end, all of the groups preformed at the same time! It was really neat. there are about 200 kids in the music program, all of them sang and played together. It was cool.
Now on to Thursday. Ford is suppose to have a band concert in the evening, but I get a text from Megan, while I was at work, asking me if Ford had really been suspended? I told her that the school hadn't called me about it and that I was SURE he was just teasing her to see what she would say. So..... I text Ford and asked him WHY?? was he teasing his sister? To which he replied with, "teasing her about what?" So back and forth it went. He told me he wasn't teasing, that he really got suspended, and good Mom that I am said........ I don't believe you! To which he shot back "ask Dad!!" (during which time I had already called Chet and found out all was true!) Boy, I stewed and worried and wondered what had happened and so on and so forth. How could he have gotten suspended and what was he going to do about his concert? I don't know if anyone knows how suspension works these days, but if you are suspended, you are not allowed on school grounds, it considered trespassing and they will press charges and expel you from said school.
I have sense decided it was a good thing that the school called Chet and not me about the suspension! I would have just had a melt down right then and there! As it was I found out about it, about an hour and a half before I got off work, and by the time I got home the mad had burned itself out.
It turns out he had called a kid a name, (which I told him would get him in trouble one day) it made the kid mad so he hit Ford in the back of the head, and Ford retaliated by pinching a pressure point on the kids neck. (could have been worse right?) Anyway, some pushing and shoving later they both ended up in the office and were BOTH suspended. Ford was told NOT to call names anymore and all was said and over with. He gets to go back to school after the Christmas break. I did have to call the school about his concert and get permission for him to be able to go, and then I had to be with him at all times while we were there. That has to be the fastest I have ever gotten out of a concert though.
WOW! What a week! Oh and I'm still not finished with my Christmas shopping! However, I am really close. Oh, wait..... so is Christmas!
Anyway, now you know a little of the panic and mayhem that I have going on in my life!
Though, truly, I really do LOVE my life! It is GOOD! Thanks to all of you for helping make my life so enjoyable!

Always Watching

You know when people tell you that you should always be mindful of your actions, because no matter where you are, someone is always watching.
This is from one of the Ladies I work with, and it really drove this point home to me.
She, her husband and brothers and sisters, just went on a two week cruise down thru Mexico and Panama. On their cruise their waiters knew that they did not drink alcohol so made sure that they had orange juice for them to drink. She told us, that about 3 or 4 days into the cruise, a waiter who did not wait on them passed by their table, stopped and said to them, "there is something different about your table, it shines." Well, they all kind of laughed a little and joked about it a little, but the waiter insisted that there was something that they had that made their table different from all the other tables on the cruise.
To make a long story short and so as not to screw it up to bad, over the rest of the cruise they got to speak to this waiter about our church a little, and found out they 10 years prior he had been given a Book of Mormon, and was interested in being baptized. However, he had a friend that had told him he wasn't ready and totally discouraged him from joining, so he didn't. He still had the spark that had been lite, and from watching my friend and her family on this cruise, this spark has stated to burn a little more. I guess when you work on a cruise ship you don't get to get off very often, and he won't be able to get off and go home for quite some time (oh, and he is from Columbia). He found my friend before they left the ship, and told her that he has arranged to go to Salt Lake City the next time he has off the ship, and would she please arrange for him to take classes so he can learn about our church. He has money and wants to pay for the classes. He doesn't understand that the classes are free and insists on paying for them, because he wants to shine and glow like my friend and he family.
I thought this was just amazing, that miles from anywhere you would think anyone would see you or know if you where out of line, there is someone waiting for your example. I also wondered how many others had passed on that same ship and not been setting the right example. I know that that is something I often struggle with. I just know that we are always being watched for the good and the bad we may be doing, and I am grateful to have so many good examples surrounding me. Thanks so much!

Everyday!

Like I said when I started this blog, I started this for my own Journaling purposes. So please don't ever read my blog thinking I am preaching please. I just think that if I pay enough attention, everyday, there is something I will learn. And just maybe, if I can learn from daily "stuff", then maybe, if I share the stuff I think, someone else might also like to share in the learning with me, by my sharing.
Anyway, I just need to share an experience I had yesterday, that really touched my heart, and again, made me SO grateful to be me and have my own set of challenges.
Yesterday, was the Junior High choir concert at the Joseph Smith Memorial building. Megan and I got there quite a bit before the Choir did, (I know, please keep the amazed breath intake to a minimum). Anyway, we had time to wander before the kids got there. Not that anyone wants to know this, but I had to find a bathroom. (yes it is necessary, for this part to be in the blog)
While we were washing our hands, into the restroom came a woman and a teenage boy. I was very taken back at first, until I started listening to the questions the young man was asking his Mother. It went sort of like this, Son:"I have to come in here with you, because of my handicap?" Mother: "Yes, that's why." Son: "will I always have my handicap?" Mother: "Yes, you will." Son: "Will I have my handicap in Heaven?" Mother: "no, You won't" Son: "because in Heaven, HE will take my handicap away?!"..............
Now at this point, there was Megan, me and another woman standing if front of the mirror finishing drying our hands and such. All we could do was stare at each other with misty eyes and listen with softened hearts. I can't remember exactly word for word or even what was said after that last statement, but I do know I was so moved by his last and simple comment.
I watched this young man wander around, the rest of the time we were there. I thought about talking to his Mother, but that seemed like it might have been out of place. I was reminded again, how well the Lord knows us as individuals! He knows that challenges that he has given us are the things we should be able to face with a reasonable amount of grace, if we put our trust in, and lean on him. Some days the "why me" party takes up so much of our time that we forget that maybe, instead, we should be saying thank you for letting it be me, and please, give me grace. Anyway, that's what I learned. I don't think I would have the grace to be that boys Mother, but I hope that I do, with some small amount of grace deal with the challenges the Lord has placed in my life.
Also, why I was there I thought of Mary Ann, and her picture of the fallen tree decoration, and I wanted to let her know, how much I really enjoy her, and her pictures! So I took a picture in her honor. The decorations reminded me of you, and made me smile. Thanks for sharing!