June 7, 2009
Dear
It was a week for washing. Monday Michael Pierson helped me and we washed all the house windows. Just washing wouldn’t have taken so long, but I noticed quite a bit of paint on the edges of the panes and took a notion to scrape it off before washing. I will credit that with causing the job to run over onto Tuesday. With the magnificent view we have, it is a delight to be able to enjoy it through clean windows.
Tuesday was one of the most important days of the year. It was Daddy B.J.’s and my 43rd wedding anniversary. We celebrated it by telling each other frequently how much we loved each other and reading “Fanny’s Dream” together at the close of the day. I found a copy of this children’s book after Daddy B.J. was so impressed with the talk “Choosing a Marriage Partner” by Brent A Barlow. His talk included a reading of that book. Daddy B.J. might not be a prince and I might not be a princess but we certainly agree that in each other’s eyes we are “close enough”.
I think I mentioned months ago about Todd Hilton’s going to the Philippines to bring home a bride, whom he met on the Internet. It fell through and he is terribly discouraged. He went to the Manila temple to talk to the Lord about his situation. After completing a session and praying and thinking in the celestial room he went outside to sit by the fountain and think some more. A lovely young woman there asked him what he was doing and he replied that he was looking for his wife. She was there for precisely the same purpose and had been praying mightily about finding her own mate. She was twenty-seven and a returned missionary and wanted a temple marriage. Todd had a week-and-a-half left of his vacation time and they spent as much of that time as possible getting to know each other. Then they corresponded by e-mail for seven months. Mila bore her testimony in our testimony meeting today. She speaks fairly good English. At least you can figure out what she means. She said she had prayed throughout the past months to have circumstances or Heavenly Father intervene if Todd were not the man she should marry. She didn’t expect to get her visa when she applied. She had friends, who had been waiting between eighteen months and two years without approval. Hers went right through and she arrived on the 25th of May. Todd had previously been married in the temple so they are awaiting a temple cancellation so he and Mila can be sealed. Our stake president said he thinks it will come through soon, since they had all the requested letters. Mila’s testimony was beautiful. Her faith is strong and she delights in seeking to follow Heavenly Father’s plan for her.
Now the reason I bring this up is because Mila stayed in Seattle with Todd’s former wife and his two children and their step-father till Tuesday. Then she started sleeping nights in the small bedroom directly downstairs from ours. With Michael here for the week and Patrick’s stay of undetermined duration that gave us a full house.
Wednesday I picked up David and Fatima’s pressure washer, which we took into Roy’s appliance two weeks ago. I spent all day Thursday working on steps outside the living room and the walkway leading to it from the circle drive. It seemed pitifully weak, which I complained to Daddy B.J. about. He told me to ask Roy’s about it. I did and they said they hadn’t checked it for pressure at all, just did whatever was necessary to make it start readily. So I took it in again and within the hour they called Daddy B.J.’s cell phone with the news that it needed a pressure valve. That being the case we figured I had slaved away with just the force of a garden hose! I can hardly wait to try it again with the new part.
My stint of washing on Friday was simply the windows of my car inside and out. That went along with vacuuming and dusting it to prepare it for our temple trip that evening. We participated with our ward sealing team. It was wonderful to think of the individualss we served as being able to be together with their sweethearts for eternity. Daddy B.J. and I are grateful for the eons ahead of us to go on enjoying each other’s company. It was also touching to think of each child being reunited with his/her parents as they were sealed to them. Christ-like parents love their children so dearly. What a joy to be able to share that association eternally.
Saturday evening Daddy B.J. was the bishop asked to welcome the children, who had been baptized at the stake’s child of record baptism. There were four children. Arynne Geier from our ward was baptized. She was in the class of Ctr 7-8, which I taught in Primary the next morning. David (who one of my seminary students) and Monique Steven’s daughter Zoe was one of the others. Her grandmother, Mitzy Stevens, whom I hadn’t seen in years was there to accompany Zoe’s older sister Torri as she sang a solo. Since baptism is the Savior’s requirement for washing sins away – though children younger than eight are sinless – I guess you could say we finished the week with that special kind of washing.
We had some fun phone calls this past week. One was from Fatima’s mother in Brazil. She called to thank us for the birthday card we sent her. What a sweetheart she is. She apologized in English for not speaking English so well. Ha! – as if I would even consider trying to talk to her in Portuguese. I also enjoyed talking to Debbie, Ruth, Michael, Kathryn, and Nathan. Best of all I had a letter from Benjamin. He, by the way, mentioned receiving several letters from many loved ones and caring friends – Gramma Toni in particular.
I have been reading a chapter from the New Testament along with a chapter from the Book of Mormon each morning. I started Matthew after finishing the Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. Last week I read:
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:4-40) [My emphsis added.]
Well that passage alone tells us where Toni will be after this life.
I had a fun encounter last week. When I went to get a gas can to pick up fuel for the pressure washer, a frog about 1 ½ inches long was asleep on the handle or at least pretending to. He didn’t move as I picked up the can and carried it to the ferns, which Daddy B.J. has planted along the cement bulkhead on the south side of the backyard. The frog almost exactly matched the color of the fern frond where I left him. Now when I listen to them in the evening as I water the berries, grapes, and flowers I smile to think I have met one of the tiny croakers.
Hey it is Monday the 8th and I need to take Daddy B.J. to the oral surgeon so the doctor can cut open B.J.’s upper gums and grind down the bumps on the bone, which Dr. Redd said needs to be smoothed. That will make and upper denture seat better so that natural suction will hold it in place and it will be more comfortable too. Things really do often get worse before they get better. Farewell for now.
Dear
It was a week for washing. Monday Michael Pierson helped me and we washed all the house windows. Just washing wouldn’t have taken so long, but I noticed quite a bit of paint on the edges of the panes and took a notion to scrape it off before washing. I will credit that with causing the job to run over onto Tuesday. With the magnificent view we have, it is a delight to be able to enjoy it through clean windows.
Tuesday was one of the most important days of the year. It was Daddy B.J.’s and my 43rd wedding anniversary. We celebrated it by telling each other frequently how much we loved each other and reading “Fanny’s Dream” together at the close of the day. I found a copy of this children’s book after Daddy B.J. was so impressed with the talk “Choosing a Marriage Partner” by Brent A Barlow. His talk included a reading of that book. Daddy B.J. might not be a prince and I might not be a princess but we certainly agree that in each other’s eyes we are “close enough”.
I think I mentioned months ago about Todd Hilton’s going to the Philippines to bring home a bride, whom he met on the Internet. It fell through and he is terribly discouraged. He went to the Manila temple to talk to the Lord about his situation. After completing a session and praying and thinking in the celestial room he went outside to sit by the fountain and think some more. A lovely young woman there asked him what he was doing and he replied that he was looking for his wife. She was there for precisely the same purpose and had been praying mightily about finding her own mate. She was twenty-seven and a returned missionary and wanted a temple marriage. Todd had a week-and-a-half left of his vacation time and they spent as much of that time as possible getting to know each other. Then they corresponded by e-mail for seven months. Mila bore her testimony in our testimony meeting today. She speaks fairly good English. At least you can figure out what she means. She said she had prayed throughout the past months to have circumstances or Heavenly Father intervene if Todd were not the man she should marry. She didn’t expect to get her visa when she applied. She had friends, who had been waiting between eighteen months and two years without approval. Hers went right through and she arrived on the 25th of May. Todd had previously been married in the temple so they are awaiting a temple cancellation so he and Mila can be sealed. Our stake president said he thinks it will come through soon, since they had all the requested letters. Mila’s testimony was beautiful. Her faith is strong and she delights in seeking to follow Heavenly Father’s plan for her.
Now the reason I bring this up is because Mila stayed in Seattle with Todd’s former wife and his two children and their step-father till Tuesday. Then she started sleeping nights in the small bedroom directly downstairs from ours. With Michael here for the week and Patrick’s stay of undetermined duration that gave us a full house.
Wednesday I picked up David and Fatima’s pressure washer, which we took into Roy’s appliance two weeks ago. I spent all day Thursday working on steps outside the living room and the walkway leading to it from the circle drive. It seemed pitifully weak, which I complained to Daddy B.J. about. He told me to ask Roy’s about it. I did and they said they hadn’t checked it for pressure at all, just did whatever was necessary to make it start readily. So I took it in again and within the hour they called Daddy B.J.’s cell phone with the news that it needed a pressure valve. That being the case we figured I had slaved away with just the force of a garden hose! I can hardly wait to try it again with the new part.
My stint of washing on Friday was simply the windows of my car inside and out. That went along with vacuuming and dusting it to prepare it for our temple trip that evening. We participated with our ward sealing team. It was wonderful to think of the individualss we served as being able to be together with their sweethearts for eternity. Daddy B.J. and I are grateful for the eons ahead of us to go on enjoying each other’s company. It was also touching to think of each child being reunited with his/her parents as they were sealed to them. Christ-like parents love their children so dearly. What a joy to be able to share that association eternally.
Saturday evening Daddy B.J. was the bishop asked to welcome the children, who had been baptized at the stake’s child of record baptism. There were four children. Arynne Geier from our ward was baptized. She was in the class of Ctr 7-8, which I taught in Primary the next morning. David (who one of my seminary students) and Monique Steven’s daughter Zoe was one of the others. Her grandmother, Mitzy Stevens, whom I hadn’t seen in years was there to accompany Zoe’s older sister Torri as she sang a solo. Since baptism is the Savior’s requirement for washing sins away – though children younger than eight are sinless – I guess you could say we finished the week with that special kind of washing.
We had some fun phone calls this past week. One was from Fatima’s mother in Brazil. She called to thank us for the birthday card we sent her. What a sweetheart she is. She apologized in English for not speaking English so well. Ha! – as if I would even consider trying to talk to her in Portuguese. I also enjoyed talking to Debbie, Ruth, Michael, Kathryn, and Nathan. Best of all I had a letter from Benjamin. He, by the way, mentioned receiving several letters from many loved ones and caring friends – Gramma Toni in particular.
I have been reading a chapter from the New Testament along with a chapter from the Book of Mormon each morning. I started Matthew after finishing the Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. Last week I read:
“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:4-40) [My emphsis added.]
Well that passage alone tells us where Toni will be after this life.
I had a fun encounter last week. When I went to get a gas can to pick up fuel for the pressure washer, a frog about 1 ½ inches long was asleep on the handle or at least pretending to. He didn’t move as I picked up the can and carried it to the ferns, which Daddy B.J. has planted along the cement bulkhead on the south side of the backyard. The frog almost exactly matched the color of the fern frond where I left him. Now when I listen to them in the evening as I water the berries, grapes, and flowers I smile to think I have met one of the tiny croakers.
Hey it is Monday the 8th and I need to take Daddy B.J. to the oral surgeon so the doctor can cut open B.J.’s upper gums and grind down the bumps on the bone, which Dr. Redd said needs to be smoothed. That will make and upper denture seat better so that natural suction will hold it in place and it will be more comfortable too. Things really do often get worse before they get better. Farewell for now.
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