A Pure Hawaiian Princess!

This is Sophia Blake Naauilii, isn't she beautiful!! Always laughing and always into things. Very bright girl, I think!

A very JOYFUL day!

SO, Mike has been off work due to his shoulder surgery and we have had much time to do things we haven't had time to do in a very long time. From cleaning out stuff, to writing, to studying and of course, going to the Temple. I have a large amount of names temple ready, so we have been busily doing initiatories, (which I love)(Baptisms I gave to the youth for youth conference) and sealings. Yesterday we did sealings at the Mt. Timp Temple, (usually we go to Provo) and as we walked in we saw Rich Osguthorpe coming out of the dressing room. We just about flipped with joy, (this is how heaven will be when we see all of those we have known and loved on this earth) and he said he was here for a family reunion, so we naturally asked, is everybody here? And he said yes, didn't you see them when you walked in? NO, we exclaimed!!! So out we went! And there was Lolly, Lisa, Aaron, Rich, and their spouses! We lightly screamed being in the Temple, and quickly hugged and talked about all the family! Then Russ came out and Emily and Russ Jr!! Oh, my goodness, were we really in heaven! Our families grew up together in this neighborhood and have many wonderful, sweet stories to tell of our children playing endless hours and us working out, and doing our yards etc. etc. (All when we had energy, mind you!) I have to say this, I felt this tremendous love and felt and remembered those years that passed so quickly and realized that our children were and are good human beings, out there trying so hard to find their way, but while growing up they were so carefree and now they are grown up themselves! Our boys would sell to each other back and forth for their respective sports, Nate would borrow encyclopedias from them, Lara and the girls would sing and play, and Lisa loved to play basketball with Jon. It was a wonderful reunion and I was so grateful for it, it was a sweet tender mercy the Lord had sent me, right when I needed it. The Spirit witnessed to me, MY family will be okay, and they will ALL come back to the Lord. And no one can take that away from me!
Well, it didn't stop there, we went in and did my families names, sealings to be exact and there was Sis. Ann Hull. She ended up being the daughter to the couples that Mike and I stood in for, and there we were the three of us partaking of wondrous things. I felt like I was going to cry with joy! Have you ever felt that JOY??? It was exactly that, I didn't want to leave when it was over.
But we slowly did, and off we went to the Ward summer party in South Fork Canyon that lasted all evening. It was a special day in which I must be grateful for, because there is always opposition, I love how He sends us joy at the same time we are receiving opposition, don't you??.
I hope you had a good day too! It saves us!

Why do you write a blog?

This is especially for my daughter who writes a blog, a blog with real feelings, real experiences, whether it be good, bad or ugly, funny, or whatever! One that is full of life's experiences as her children grow and as she walks the path of life with her husband. I appreciate, as I know so many do, the fact she will put into words those experiences so as to "remember", to teach, to laugh at, and to give others hope as they walk their own path. You are so appreciated Lara for this. By the way, you can "slurp" your blog after a year. Talk to me about that and I'll tell you how you can do that for personal history purposes. Anyhow, she put me onto a blog the other day that was a spoof on blogs that was totally halarious. I'll come back with the address soon. But it's purpose was to make us take a better look at why we write what we do. If you are all flowery then you aren't real, is what I got out of it. So here is the challenge, start writing real things, real experiences without being unkind or a bully of course, because the reality is, we all need each other to get through this life. Some write just to record, some write to let others know of their current events, some write because they really have a hard time saying things. I find my blog writing to be reflective on thoughts I am having currently, how about you? What are your reasons for writing?

Knowing who you are!

While down in San Diego this last week being with all of my siblings, I had to record this experience so I wouldn't forget it. I felt it was so sweet. My brother Jon had a son by a previous marriage, and now two more children in this marriage. things have not always been easy, but it has worked out well, in spite of life's difficulties. But while we were all surrounding the dinner table, Trevor, this oldest son from his 1st marriage said. My mother called me Trevor Stevenson all my growing up years, that he went by that name in school and everything. I turned to Jon and asked him, did they want to adopt him? He said yes, and I would NOT agree to it. I told him, how proud I was of him for sticking to his guns. But then Trevor said, but as soon as I was 18 I told my mom, I am Jon Trevor Snell and that is who I am. I just wanted to hug him. Of course, I hugged him, I love Trevor, he is so wonderful. He recognized his roots and loved his father and would not deviate even though the marriage was dissolved. I felt renewed faith in this generation! This touched all of us, as we would hate it not to have Trevor. He is definitely his father's son! The sad thing this is what is happening all over the world these days due to the high divorce rate. It just is so tough. For that I am so sorry for many families.

Babblings

MIke is doing quite well after his shoulder surgery! He really does heal well, but he hasn't gotten to the physical therapy yet, and that is where he will be unhappy. But we have been reading alot of books together. One right now is called America in Danger by Studdert. He formerly worked for the last 5 Presidents of our country. He lists 10 dangers that are upon us for our nation and we better listen up! So go enjoy a good read and know it isn't fiction!
Now on to the thoughts of the day and that is one of having a personality that is vengeful. I would really like your thoughts concerning this, because it seems to have a fine line. In reading this latest book, we are learning quite quickly, and honestly we already knew a lot of this stuff, that these countries that are preparing to destroy us have that very thing at the heart. That of being vengeful. They hate we have freedom, that we have plenty of resources, that we have freedom of religion and freedom of speech. So they desire to take us out. realizing this on a large scale, what about a small scale of people in your lives that have that same personality flaw. I think of the word bitter in this too. So hence, the power of charity trumps all again, and the word of God. It is the only way.

Scramble or scrambled brains!

Hey, as of the last two days I have been challenged to a scramble game several times from Lara and I have say "I AM TERRIBLE" at it! After I learned the rules, I found myself slower than molasses. I felt like I was scrambled in my brains and scrambled in words that I didn't even know existed. BUT, the good news is that I am practicing again the finding of words which will help, uh hum, alzheimers disease! Guess it is a good thing even though it's very frustrating. Hee Hee

Out to lunch, appropriately named!

Well, this is a surprise! Look I'm actually writing a personal blog!! Aren't you surprised, could have fooled you, right? Well, I am, and it is only to update you as to the heavy duty life I've been living as so many of you have as well.
My life has been full, that's for sure! But it is full of joy and of sadness all at once. I truly feel beaten up! I remember well Bro. Christensen always saying in class, "I feel beaten up every day and it is getting more intense each day I grow older!" I have to say I feel the same way. We have had a few funerals of those who are near and very dear to us, we have seen close friends begin a journey of cancer or early dimentia. We have gone through a difficult surgery but it has turned out great so far! We have children who care about us and who are growing in ways that we never would have guessed how it would happen, but we knew who they were and they would all get there in spite of obstacles placed before them! I love them and they are mine!
We got to go to Hawaii for a week, we have our grandchildren calling us and wanting us in their lives, and enjoying a long talk with all of them! We have had difficulties with different personalities, and we have had very joyful ones that boost and lift us! There are now challenges that are getting more and more difficult due to the economy! More pressure to tighten our belts and not enjoy life as we thought we were going to in our retiring years! There has been problem solving every day as we serve one another as well as be served! But ultimately, everyone, none of this matters, one day it will all go away and the important thing is we stuck together, we grew closer to our Savior, we kept our eyes on the Prophet, and kept his commandments.
I have said in other blogs, we have been called judgmental before, we have been called other choice names, as I am sure you all have because the reality is the intensity against the Saints is increasing, and it is increasing FAST! Does it hurt?? Of course it does, does it matter? Not really. But what I really pray for is a soft heart and endurance! Endurance to the end, one with compassion, one with understanding as so many have lost this. I know we are being refined. I just hope I can allow it, because I know it is human nature to resist it. I would like to share a little sentence that has mean't so much to me, "I will have people in my life who will hurt me spiritually and physically, but I will always reach out in forgiveness and understanding!" I really do hang on to this, because I can really say, that I have. One day, it will all be made right! This, my friends, is where the endurance comes in! Frankly, there are days I'm just plain tired of trying to be the big girl, the adult! So thanks for my place of sorting this out in my mind, by writing it down. My little place in cyberspace! So if you think I'm out to lunch, that is fine with me. That is why this blog is appropriately named!
Time to go and get some rest! For tomorrow is another day!