dear grandma

We, (being me, mom, Keziah and Fisher) just took the ride of a lifetime in our new dream car! It is the coolest car I’ve ever driven in! It gets radio from basically anywhere, and it’s got a moon roof and the seats are so awesome! THANK YOU FOR HELPING US GET IT! I LOVE IT!

This, from granddaughter Blythe.

You’re welcome Blythie. I’m glad I could help. The big stuff is on you guys though. You will have all the hard work keeping it nice and clean and away from owls. You will have to carry in all the stuff and clean up the Great Harvest crusts and crumbs so the seats stay awesome! You will have to carry in the smoothie cups so they don’t tip over in the cracks and crevices. You guys will have to work hard to be thrifty and smart so you can make payments.

[I always ignore the opportunity to just keep my mouth shut. Instead, I always have to add my unsolicited two-cents-worth about being responsible.]

I actually remember so many times my own father helped me in this exact same way. I was pretty stranded in Pennsylvania without a car, with two small children and a husband who was inattentive [to me, anyway] and “worked” 15 hours a day. He isolated me and went on his merry way. I needed a car! I needed to be able to go somewhere and do something, even if only to the grocery store or the library. So my dad cashed in a bond from his mother, Grandma Smith, and sent the money for me to buy a used V Dub bug.

What a life safer.

My dad.

I’ve never felt particularly close or attached to him. I even have a hard time praying about him. I always thank the Lord for my Mother — that’s so easy — but I almost begrudgingly say, “Thank you for my dad, for all that he taught me about being thrifty and frugal and responsible and smart.” I just remember all that I didn’t love about him. He was distant and hard and immovable and cross and stiff and sore and cancerous and withholding and judgmental.

As it turns out I’m more like him than I am like Mom. That whole thing skipped a generation and ended up square in the lap of Tracy. She’s just like her: caring, nurturing, fun, teaching, forgiving, loving, friendly, a wonderful example, loyal, covenanted, dedicated.

I, right now, this morning, am working on next week’s RS lesson entitled Mothers and Daughters.

My opening statement:

What an honor it is to speak and teach today on this talk from Brother Ballard. I find myself both insufficient and unqualified in this area, but I’ll do my best to give to you the message he shared with all of us in April.

I knew I had to have a disclaimer in order to teach on this subject!

Oh, why does God always give me hard things to do? Why does he make me look inside and see where I need to improve, learn, do better? Why do I have to grow and stretch and feel? Why do I always have my regrets right in front of me?

I’d rather be hard and immovable and distant and cross. I’m not comfortable with gushy.

But I can help out financially, like my dad.

traipsing

One of the other things we did when in SLC over the weekend was to visit Salt Lake CIty Cemetery after church on Sunday. I wanted Tracy’s family and especially the grandchildren to see President Hinckley’s grave and head stone. Notice in this picture the trademark cane along side the beautiful flowers.

How totally and touchingly appropriate!

We also saw President McKay’s and the area reserved for the family of Hyrum Smith. The words on the stone were so touching. You must go and make a day of traipsing through the sacred grounds and touching history for yourself. President Grant, President Joseph F. Smith and Joseph Fielding Smith were also there. I couldn’t help but imagine the huge family reunion that will be going on in the near future when all these souls are united.

We had a picnic out of the cooler: chicken salad sandwiches, grapes, apples, carrot sticks and turkey and cheese sandwiches. Note: no junk food allowed!

It was truly the perfect ending to a fun and wonderful family mini-vacation!

triathlon

Miss Kez!

I’m not sure what made her want to compete in a triathlon, but compete she did! It was 29 degrees early in the morning [but warmed up in the afternoon!] I guess that’s why it was called the Ice Breaker!

Breakdown: Swim 100 Meters, Bike 3.1 Miles, Run 1 Mile

After the bike race her hands were completely numb, her lips here blue and her teeth were chattering, her hair was nearly frozen [this after the swim and then going out into pretty dang cold weather!] I said, “Wow, you’ve done enough. You can stop if you want to. You are already amazing.” But she wanted to change into a warmer [spelled d.r.y.] shirt and off she ran to finish her mile.

Not long afterwards, I heard over the loud speaker “Keziah Ward! You are awesome; look at her still running strong. Here she comes! Keziah Ward! Give it up for Keziah!”

You may be thinking this doesn’t actually look like a race. You may be thinking she wouldn’t actually be running a race in flip flops.You may be thinking her grandma forgot to break out the camera. You may be thinking she made her pin the number back on later in the day when we were at Sugar House Park and pretend she was running.  Yah, you’d be right.

fisher

Fisher called.

Hello Grommer. I need a calendar. For my wall. Blythie has a calendar. Keziah has a calendar. I need a calendar. For my wall.

Me: OK.

Fisher: Could you wrap it in a box and send it to my mail box? Will you please buy me a calendar, Grommer?

Me: I’d be glad to, Sweetheart.

Fisher: I really need one for my room. For my wall.

OK. l’ll do that. I’ll start looking for one right now.

Fisher: OK, Goodbye, Grommer. Love you.

Me: Love you, too, Sweet Pea.

That’s how it all began. I searched Amazon, Calendars.com., Christian bookstore, Barnes and Noble, Deseret Book. See, I want the right price AND free shipping. I could get both at Amazon if I spent $25. I seriously considered getting Office 2008 [for Macs] for Dummies but that took the price way up to $39 dollars just to get free shipping. Just as I was hitting the “Send” button, Tracy said “WAIT I have free shipping for three months.” That’s the short version.

Fisher now is the proud owner of a calendar that’s in his room. On his wall. On a nail.

I asked him. “So, Fisher. Did you need a calendar so you could learn the days of the weeks and the months and keep track of things? Or just to look at the pictures”

Fisher: The pictures.

Seriously. I could have gotten a 2002 calendar for ninety-nine cents at DI.

I totally adore this boy. My only grandson. I hope he knows I would do anything he asks me.

to Fisher

Dear Fisher,

Grampa Leonard just showed me that Jack was sleeping under the ladder with the throw on it. But the funny thing is, Jack has his feet under the little bench and has them sticking out of the hole under the leg. Pretty funny, Fisher.

Love, Bommer