My Life in the here and now

Yes, retirement is interesting! We have spent winters in Arizona and summers in Utah. That is the best of both worlds, but the church in Arizona decided they needed year around leaders soooo-- for a while we are year around Arizonans. We are a branch of about 35 to 50 people in the summer. In the winter we are two sessions of between 400 and 500 people each session! We had a full time missionary couple this winter. They have had 4 convert baptisms. It seems so neat to see the fire of conversion in their eyes. Our last little couple are in their late 30s. They wanted to be baptized but there was a problem; they weren't married! So the branch president married them on Monday and they were baptized on Sunday. They are working to be sealed in the temple in a year. Talk about neat. The ladies were in tears of joy and everyone was all smiles. They loved each other so much, it just didn't occur to them that they needed to legal.

They made the JW high priest quorum advisor which means he' s up to his eyeballs in service projects. Old people need help a lot. We are in our 60s and among the youngest in the branch (outside of our new convert couple). We affectionately refer to our senior mobile park as God's waiting room. We had 25 branch members be called to other side this last year. It always amazes me how naturally that happens. They are here and they go home to their homes in the north and then we get word they are gone.
They made me 2nd councilor in Relief Society which means I'm in charge of Humanitarian and activities. They must have looked at the attendance roll for Humanitarian and saw that I avoided Thursday Humanitarian at all costs and decided I must be the perfect one to be put in charge! Our winter members just LOVE humanitarian and in summer we prepare for the quilt making and clothes and toy making that get given to SL and service projects locally.
I have 6 children who are all married with children. I don't get to see some of them very often, but I'm intensely interested in their lives, much to the bane of their husbands and wives. I can't help it though, because you don't stop wanting to see them be happy and succeed just because they moved out! Needless to say my going away all winter is the best thing I can do to contribute to their marital bliss. Of course I still have a cell phone!

My oldest daughter is 39 and is now married to a wonderful man (husband #2) who works hard and lets her control the pay check. He also let her win all the arguments, mainly because he has a little problem succeeding in winning, but never the less that makes him her perfect match.
He also loves her two children from her first marriage as though they were his own. He is willing and often does give you the shirt off his back. Yes, he has turned out to be almost perfect.
You would never have guessed it, however, the first time I saw him. He was 10 years older than her, an over-the-road truck driver, with a battered cowboy hat and long stringy hair almost to his shoulders. He had no shirt and a black leather vest with a big silver cross hanging from his neck onto a big hairy barrel chest. I thought, " Good grief!! What has she gotten herself into now!! He was helping her get out of a very bad marriage that only a tough guy could help her do. Who could have guessed that deep down he was a big gentle bear who is more peacemaker than anything. They have had 2 girls of their own and all 4 girls are beautiful and intelligent. The oldest is almost 20 now and finally is on her way to collage after a few detours along the way. The second is the 2nd highest asap scorer in the school district and is in all the school plays. She has an incredible voice and best of all is very grounded as a person. The 2 youngest are a little unknown to me since I only see the every year or two.. I hear they will turn out to be just as talented and wonderful as their older sisters. My daughter is a cross between an organized, controlling, hard working fighter and a giving, generous compassionate bleeding heart for all things wronged in this life. Also all cats. She loves people who try hard, and hates slackers. She is intensely loyal.
My 2nd daughter is 37. She was always the peace maker in the family. Right and wrong was always very clear to her. At 18 months she leaned on her grandfather's knee and told him, " That's not nice" And so it has been and still is in her life. No gray areas in her life! My own streak of broadmindedness (I call it), translates to wishy -washyness to her. She has a good husband and 4 beautiful children whom she homeschools. She is game to try new things and
in general is at least competent even the first time. She has 4 acres in Arizona which she is single-handedly trying to cultivate. Her husband is a computer nerd which means he makes a good living but in general is incompetent when it comes to things manual. Occasionally he does try, in general some people are not as game as others when it comes to new things. Her children are bright, beautiful and just as opinionated as their wonderful mother. My philosophy is, "I'm not Millennium material yet. If my children are going to be ready for the future, they need to step up their game, not just duplicate mine." I'm proud of who they are even if that makes me feel a little like a slacker by comparison.

My oldest son is 35 and a welder in the oil fields in eastern Utah. He has always been a very special person. His life is not an easy one, but he makes no excuses. He tries hard and works long hours. He has 4 children, 3 boys and a girl. He married into a kind of cowboy family of pioneer stock. For recreation he loves to work his horses and work on her family ranch with his brother-in-law. He loves to hunt, but doesn't always get his dear, elk, or whatever he is hunting.
He loves to go to the temple. I say he is special because he has always been close to the other side. One time when he was a baby, I went to check on him in his crib. The evil spirits were so strong around his bed I could not get close to him. I had to get my husband to get him. He is the only baby I had who would communicate his needs to me when he cried telepathically. He didn't talk right away, his older sisters would talk for him. This ability faded at about 4 years when he started to talk. He has always been able to see people from the other side from time to time. Such a gift may seem to be a blessing, but even though he doesn't see evil spirits, they seem to be very aware of him and that creates some challenges. He self taught himself to play the guitar and he became a black belt out of self defense from the bullys in his life.
His children seem sweet, but these are some I don't get to know because I don't get to see them.
What I do know of them makes me think that the boys are serious minded who try hard to live up to the expectations of their father and the girl is the spitting image of her mother.
My youngest daughter is 32 and a friend to the world. She never met a person she didn't like. Her sunny disposition and varied interests make her a person many people seek out as a friend. Right now she is learning the fine art of cake decorating. She has a book list of classics she is wading through, a quilt she has borrowed my frames to quilt, she is interested in nutrition and gets up before her kids to exercise every morning. She is learning to play the piano. She loves to paint her walls so her husband never knows what color the wall will be when he gets home. She is a Dula though she isn't practicing right now and is homeschooling her kids. Her house always seems to have visitors around even though she claims not. Her husband is the new bishop of their ward which does effect her involvement. I get tired just thinking of her lifestyle!
Her husband is the picture of patience. He just sits back and lets her go where her mind and heart leads her. He supports her need to go to mother's retreats and long trips to visit relatives even when he can't get off to go also, as long as she takes the kids with her. When they got married the sealer said that he didn't often say this, but these two committed to marry in the pre-existence. He is an Easterner and I get a kick out of watching his reaction to our not quite civilized Western family. He managed to give himself a black eye the first time his brothers-in-law took him shooting. Darn that scope!
They have five children between the ages of 10 and almost 2. They are beautiful, bright and curious, after all their home is full of such interesting things and people. I know them the best since she lives closest to me in the summertime.
My 2nd son is 31 and was born with a club foot. When his grandfather saw that he had a disability he predicted that he would become the lawyer of the family. No, he did not become a lawyer, but he was given the gift of a good mind. Thanks to Shriners the foot was corrected, but the good mind stayed anyway. He was the bravest kid I knew. Unlike his brothers who had ADHD, he could always see the danger of the things his brothers did. Thankfully, they were as agile as mountain goats and had guardian angels that worked overtime. He would never let his brothers out do him. I will never forget when he was about 13 and his brothers were diving off the 3rd platform at Lava. I never saw a kid so afraid and courageous at the same time. He plays the drums and the guitar, mostly self taught. He was popular in school.
He graduated collage this spring. He married a girl from a background different from us. Her family is quiet and refined and all the men in her family have degrees. With her encouragement he went to school. when he came home with a B she told him that simply would not do, and so he graduated with honors. He has always had it in him, but until he had someone who cared he wasn't that motivated. As parents we were too laid back to require that sort of thing. along the way they had 3 beautiful boys. Only one show any inclination of being like my other boys. I chuckle when I think of the ride that boy will give his sweet little mother. If she is like me she will eventually tell God to take him if He wants him since I cannot stop him anyway.
My baby is 29 and almost wasn't born. After the club foot I was done. God had other plans. He talked to my mind and told me there was a man who needed a body and would I be willing to give him one. I said, " Yes, if He would promise me no more physical disabilities." He was born physically perfect and full of the old nick. He had a temper and a will of iron. No amount of punishment would bend his will to compliance with yours. He took great delight in pushing buttons. He learned best hands-on and second with hearing rather than reading. He memorized easily. He grew tall with the build of a gazelle. He skateboards, snowboards, dives, and is a adrenaline junky. As an adult he is laid back and easy going. He no longer has a temper, but it translates into passive aggressiveness. He is also a loyal friend. He loves the sea and is career Navy. he and his wife are no longer married, but they both love their daughter, Dorothy with all their hearts. So after some struggle they decided to make a home for Dorothy with a Mommy and a Daddy. They are friend/roommates. Dorothy sleeps with Mommy and Daddy has his own room. Mommy stays home with Dorothy and Daddy supports the family. Right now Daddy is out to sea and later this year he will be headed for the Med. He has already done a tour in the Persian gulf, which was what happened to the marriage in the first place. This time I hope Mommy waits. Dorothy will grow tall and blond and beautiful like her mother. She has her dad's iron will and stubborn ways. She is very verbal. I know because Dorothy has lived with me off and on while her parents worked things out. I always say what goes around comes around. Her parents are in for some pay back.
Well, that is my 6 kids and assorted spouses and 21 grandkids. Not a dud in the whole bunch. I look at my life and can't remember how I got so old. One day at a time like everyone else , I guess. Talk to you later. BYE