So much going on

Our house sale is pending, depending on the potential buyer's home closing. It is quite emotional. We feel really good about moving, we love our new home and our neighbors. But leaving the home where we raised our children does pull on my heart strings. I remind myself that it is the children not the things. But there are the good friends in Montpelier who I love and it does hurt my heart. This has been a faith walk for me and fortunately and often the Lord assures me what we have done is right. We will go to the temple today with family and do sealings. We are enjoying our life here and that helps. Oh, I like those pictures, no snow!

Christmas

Packing is not fun - cept when friends come to help

Last Friday a group of our friends came to help us pack. We got a lot done and had fun while we were doing it. I wish I could take them all with us when we move. Sara will be home this week to help pack some more, we just have too much stuff and I don't really know what to do without. But we will find out shortly. It is all those tools. I guess I have this belief, you can never have too many tools. But I do not know how to use them, sooooo, we will see.

We had a little miracle happen last week. Sara lost her cell phone and couldn't get in touch with the friends she was meeting in Salt Lake, all the numbers were on her phone! Janelle got on facebook and got in touch with one of her friends, then Daniel went up and kicked around in the snow and found the cell phone. She had it on vibrate so we couldn't even call it. But Daniel just happened to kick in the right spot and Sara got her phone and was safe. I believe in miracles.

The Wall is gone

There was a closet that I needed gone in the new house. I wanted the space opened. So while Samantha and Bryan finished painting downstairs, Calvin, Daniel and Bruce knocked it down. Now it is really open. I like space.

Happy Birthday Carol

Tomorrow would have been Carol's 58th birthday! I really need an older sister to hit 58 before I do, it makes it not seem old when someone you used to swing on the swings with is 58 first. Carol used to love Japanese anything. I will have to talk to Mom about the violin playing, I have a dim memory of her playing the violin when we lived in Los Angeles. We ran in the desert searching for lizards and little beds of clay. When I needed to know anything, it was Carol who informed me. The other day I did it again, thought, "Oh, Carol will know." It was great of Chrissy to find the Hercules song for me. That helps a lot, to have a sister left who cares about me like I care about her. I guess that is the important thing. You can't help but mourn those who are gone, but thank goodness that there are two of us left.

Good morning

It is cold today, Keith (our radio announcer) said it was about 3 or 4 degrees and our hunters are headed out. The sky is a lovely blue and snow is glistening on the bushes. I am grateful that I am warm inside the house. I hope the hunters stay warm. Brrrr

Pavane for a Dead Princess

At my niece's, Lindsey's, wedding, Jim, her new husband, and his friends played the music, "Pavane to dead Princess." He was telling about the song and my mind flitted to a song I sang often after both Carla and Carol died. The music helped me handle the profound grief I was feeling. When Jim began to play the music I gasped and then I just sat there and cried. It was the same song I have been singing for so long. I never knew the name of it and I knew I didn't have the words exactly right. I was sitting between my Mom and Eric, Jim's brother. When the song was over I told them about my song. Eric wasn't aware that there were words to that song so I wondered aloud if maybe Mr. Burkett (I think that was his name, I would ask Carol or Carla, but . . . ) had invented the lyrics to go with a favorite song. Eric's comment energized me to look online and see if I could find the lyrics, I found it so I thought I would share it with you all. I wish I had remembered the end of it, I only remembered to the place, "yet here she lies in stillness." And yet, as I read all of it, I wonder at the grace of God to teach me this song when I was 14 and here, so many years later it comes, I hope, to touch all of our lives. Thank you to Jim for bringing it back to my mind so that I can share it with those of you that loved both Carla and Carol

“Soft, a blossom falls from flow’ret white
Soft, a birdling calls as falls the night,
the night that came too soon
Too soon for knowing.
So like the palest blossom was her face,

And hers the grace, the grace of birds in flight,
Yet, here she lies in stillness.
Night falls, but in the tender dusk
No more we hear her singing,
Her sweet voice singing.
As night has brought the darkness,
So morning brings another day
For her who knew not sadness, no never sadness
Somewhere she walks in gladness.
Soft, a blossom falls from flow’ret white,
Soft, a birdling calls as falls the night
An we who watch are mute at beauty’s passing.
Grieve not, for she has found another day,
another day, and on her way she moves, moves in joy.”