Sure, I moved my bed into the back room but NOTHING else. I also ended my Online Class. Oh, and watched a soccer game, I'm sure...hahaha My version of NOTHING! I've never really felt THIS exhausted.
But school starts for the kids this week (Wednesday, Aug 15) and for me on Thurs, Aug 23! This means that the summer is OVER....sad time. But we have done a LOT!!
May: Austria with Spencer and Kelsey
I'm so happy I took them this year. It was a lot more expensive than I had planned, but I think we not only had fun and made some good memories, but actually learned a little too. Krista flew them out on Stand By passes...so they made it a day after us. They stayed a night in Atlanta then flew to Munich, Germany. From there they took a train to meet us. They were VERY tired by the time they got to us, but we had a good time. Krista only stayed that day :(
We were there for three weeks so I can't post EVERYTHING --no Alps pics where we paraglided, all the castles, and gelato, and cool things we saw. My school blog has more if you want to head HERE.
June: Girls Camp & Youth Conf & Tennessee
These were two wonderful experiences!! I got back from Austria on Sunday, June 3...started teaching my class at UCA on Monday, June 4 and then went to Girls Camp on June 6 after teaching MTW. Our theme this year was UNSTOPPABLE. We had a good time!
I got to stay home the next week....and teach both my face to face and online courses. Then the following week I went to Kansas City to spend a few days with our Stake Youth at Youth Conf. We went to William Jewell College and visited the Kansas City Temple, Independence Visitors Center, Liberty Jail, and Adam-Ondi-Ahman. It was a super spiritual experience, to say the VERY least. I LOVE being with our youth!! Sis Amy Routt and I drove up with our youth (Spencer and Kelsey, Evan is her son, and Avery Tribett). We went up the night before so we could be there early the next day to help with everything. I love my calling!!
July: Effingham & Nauvoo & Utah/Idaho
Olivia Webb came home from her mission (New York New York North Mission) so we decided we would head up to her homecoming on July 8. Our kids grew up together, so we wanted to support her. Plus, we wanted to see Effingham again....the kids really haven't been back since we left. It was so fun to hear their squeals as we saw the Cross, their old school, the old house/neighborhood, the police station, etc, etc, etc! It was just fun to let them check it all out. We brought bikes so they could ride around. What fun! We saw the Hoopers, Jones, Webbs, Gadberrys, and all our church friends. I even got to spend time with Lisa Pemberton. And when we were getting ready to leave, Mrs Borries drove up so we visited with them.
I think a highlight was getting to go into our old home. Like I said, the kids hadn't really been back for any real amount of time - meaning they didn't really get to SEE anyone or anything. This time we spent Thurs night, Fri, Sat, and Sunday evening went home. It was so much fun!
I also enjoyed knowing that our ancestors had lived there. When we got home I looked at the maps I had previously (years ago) received and found that the place we had lunch a couple of the days was where one of my ancestors actually lived. Crazy! But so cool!
Saturday after the temple I got word that he did great in his surgery...was tired, but doing well. Sunday I was so exhausted, I slept most of the day. I didn't call him like I meant to. On Monday I found out he was doing so good they were moving him back to Idaho Falls (he had been moved from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake [Univ of Utah medical center] for the surgery) Tuesday morning. He would need to be in a nursing facility because he couldn't take care of himself, but still he was well enough to be moved from the hospital.
But Tuesday morning Krista called saying he was in Code Blue. He was in cardiac arrest. She had spent the past 30 minutes with him watching baseball. She laughs that she made a comment about how the hitter should have run "even [she] know[s] that!" He chuckled and squeezed her hand. He called the nurse because he had to go to the bathroom. Krista excused herself so he could have some privacy and used the restroom herself. When she returned, 412 personnel were there attending to him. He underwent CPR for 25 minutes and they revived him. But he could not breath on his own so he had a breathing tube and was back in ICU. Code Blue happened twice more. The third time was the last. After 10 minutes of CPR, he would not revive and they called it.
I was not ready for my father to die! When Krista first called me all I could do was bawl. Spencer was the only one up, so he and I prayed and I just held his hand and cried and cried and cried. I spent the remainder of that day crying off and on. I wondered how I would feel when he passed. Would it hurt? Would I care? I had never really had a great relationship with him, but I loved him and found that the hole was nearly unbearable. Partly out of guilt for not calling when I could have, and partly because I was just not ready to say good-bye! I'm not sure ANYONE EVER is ready, but I felt like I had been jipped. Had I said enough? Did he know I loved him? And that I tried to spend time with him? Did he know the things he had taught me despite the distance in our lives?
Needless to say, we made a trip to Utah/Idaho and THIS is what I spoke about at his funeral -- what he had taught me! I am grateful for the lessons I learned from this strong humble kind loving man! Here is my talk: (of course, if you know me at all, you know that this is the OUTLINE and that I rambled a bit here and there...I'll try to add what I added then). I was happy to have the time to share these things...with HIM!
What I learned from my dad
- Not everything turns out as you plan but happiness comes when you do what is right
- Church is most important
- Covenants matter
- Family first
- Work hard play hard
- Priesthood
- Rise and shout
- Breeds of cows
- Directions
- Fresh tomato sandwiches with mayo, salt and pepper
- There’s always time for one more game
- Never too young to learn to drive a snowmobile
- Numbers
- Competition
- Line of trees
As I was driving up, like I had many times before, I noticed the familiar line of trees at Blackfoot. It symbolizes that I was nearly to dads!!
Dad was like that - always pointing out landmarks so I knew where I was. It was nostalgic and a bit sentimental this time around as I thought of all the things dad has taught me.
It’s difficult to fit everything into 5 mins but I’ll try.
Dad was a hard worker. He was always up gardening before he went to work and when he got home too. He taught us to work hard and play hard - he would even find enough time to still coach us in the many sports we played. Tho I hated gardening with him as a kid, i loved reaping the rewards. A good tomato and mayonnaise sandwich with salt and pepper was the best. I still eat them today.
Some of my earliest memories with my dad was of him laying in bed with me telling me stories of his horses and cows. Buttercup Pansy
But he loved to play hard too. From him I learned that there is always time for one more game! And it’s never too early to learn how to drive a snowmobile (despite Mom thinking otherwise)
Our old snowmobile's throttle was sticking...pretty badly. Dad spent a lot of time fixing it. He finally got it to where he believed it was safe for me to drive it for my first time. All the while, mom would come out on the porch to make sure everything was ok. No doubt she was against his allowing me drive at such a young age. Well, I sat myself down with excitement. Bruce sat behind me and put his arms around my waist. With brimming enthusiasm I put my thumb on the throttle and pushed. Off the snowmobile roared off.....and the throttle wasn't fixed. It stuck....with mom screaming on the porch "Jerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Within milliseconds, our feet were off the running boards. Bruce's grip around my waist held, but all the touched the machine were my hands. It didn't take much longer for both of us to be thrown from the machine into the snow. While we were laughing with delight - this was a GREAT experience - mom was not so happy. Dad's smile and chuckle ended as the machine sped across the yard, up on the road, and jumped off the other side and up the hill until it flipped over. Needless to say, we didn't get to drive again that day! But it sure was fun!!!
Our old snowmobile's throttle was sticking...pretty badly. Dad spent a lot of time fixing it. He finally got it to where he believed it was safe for me to drive it for my first time. All the while, mom would come out on the porch to make sure everything was ok. No doubt she was against his allowing me drive at such a young age. Well, I sat myself down with excitement. Bruce sat behind me and put his arms around my waist. With brimming enthusiasm I put my thumb on the throttle and pushed. Off the snowmobile roared off.....and the throttle wasn't fixed. It stuck....with mom screaming on the porch "Jerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Within milliseconds, our feet were off the running boards. Bruce's grip around my waist held, but all the touched the machine were my hands. It didn't take much longer for both of us to be thrown from the machine into the snow. While we were laughing with delight - this was a GREAT experience - mom was not so happy. Dad's smile and chuckle ended as the machine sped across the yard, up on the road, and jumped off the other side and up the hill until it flipped over. Needless to say, we didn't get to drive again that day! But it sure was fun!!!
Dad always knew where he was going - or at least as a kid I thought so. But he taught me that even tho Not everything turns out as you plan, happiness comes when you do what is right
And doing what is right included
Family Is always first
Keeping the covenants you made at baptism and in the temple
Sticking close to the church not only brings blessings but happiness too.
I believe some of the proudest moments my dad had with me was when i sides with him and BYU instead of uncle don and the Aggies. But maybe where i felt how proud he was and how much he loved me was in the temple before my mission, while I served as a missionary in part of the same mission he served in years earlier, and when I married my husband for time and all eternity in the temple. He knew these events, if I stayed true to them, would bring me the most pure joy and happiness in life.
I’m not sure he ever knew this, he only heard me bare my testimony a handful of times, but I gained my unwavering testimony of the power of the priesthood from him before I even began kindergarten. One day when leaving his house, I got a pretty bad bloody nose. To a young girl like me at the time, I thought I was quickly dying. My dad knelt beside me, laid his hands on my head, and commanded the blood to stop through the power of the priesthood. And it stopped. From that day forward, I have an unshakable faith in the power of the priesthood of God. It is real!
Something I learned early on was that I was his favorite. 😉
I said more, I'm sure, but these are the notes I stood at the pulpit with. At the end, I know I testified of the living Christ and through Him I know that my father lives today. While his mortal body lay in the casket in front of me, his spirit remains as alive as he ever was. And I will see him again one day and give him a hug.
A couple days later I realized that now my dad WOULD BE ABLE to be at Spencer's farewell in a year. In the health condition he was in, there would be absolutely no way he would make it. Now he can be present then as well as when he goes to the temple for the first time.
I said more, I'm sure, but these are the notes I stood at the pulpit with. At the end, I know I testified of the living Christ and through Him I know that my father lives today. While his mortal body lay in the casket in front of me, his spirit remains as alive as he ever was. And I will see him again one day and give him a hug.
A couple days later I realized that now my dad WOULD BE ABLE to be at Spencer's farewell in a year. In the health condition he was in, there would be absolutely no way he would make it. Now he can be present then as well as when he goes to the temple for the first time.
1 comment:
Great memories and wonderful pictures!
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