Ron

Once upon a time there was a young girl who had just completed her third semester of college. She had been dating one young man steadily and then one evening, he never showed up for their date. No phone call, no explanation, no nothing. When she saw him at church the following Sunday, she asked him what happened and he hemmed and hawed and didn't make any sense. She wasn't terribly thick-headed so she knew that this relationship was over.

During the two week Christmas break, she nursed her semi-broken heart. The entire trip back to Utah she thought about the upcoming semester and planned how she would stay so busy that she would forget her "old boyfriend."

The first Friday night back, she was talking to her friend and roommate during a late night gab session. "Melinda," she said in a semi-serious voice, "I need to find a man!" They decided to attend the Saturday night Wilkinson Center dance. One of their Family Home Evening "brothers" also wanted to attend the dance so the three of them went together. They were having a good time and then this young girl saw "him." He stood out from all the rest of the young men and she hoped that he would ask her to dance. Less than a minute passed before he approached her, asked if she would like to dance and of course she said, "yes." They spent the rest of the evening together, laughing and talking. She couldn't remember ever having so much fun and feeling so comfortable with someone so quickly. He took her home, asked for her phone number and made plans for a date a few nights later.

This is how I met Ron. For my second item on my "virtual gratitude poster" I would write in large letters, Ron!

I am so grateful for his love and support. He is a wonderful husband, loving father, great provider, and terrific companion. I am so grateful that my roommate supported me in my quest to "find a man" and that we met that wonderful January evening. He has brought me great joy and happiness.

And now will you indulge me when I ask him out on a date?

Deeeeeear Ron,

How would you like to go to brunch with me Saturday morning to Mimi's Cafe? They have delicious omlettes and tasty muffins. I know it will be very, very fun!

Loooooooove,
Loralee

I Am Woman Part 2

This afternoon I fixed a wonderful dinner--BBQ chicken, Barbara's baked beans (delicious!), and baked potatoes. All I needed to do was add a vegetable and some fruit. I thought a jar of applesauce would be splendid. Unfortunately, I had to get a new jar out of food storage. An UNOPENED jar of applesauce.

Dinner was progressing nicely. Emily and I were enjoying our dinner when I realized that I hadn't helped myself to any of the wonderful applesauce. (It was one of my favorite foods growing up and I have to say, it is one of my favorite foods to this day.)

I tried to open the jar. I could not do it.

Emily tried to open the jar. She could not do it.

I pulled out the jar opener which usually works for me. It didn't work.

Emily tried the jar opener. It didn't work for her either.

She wailed, "I AM NOT WOMAN!"

She tried again. And again. And again.

She wailed, "WHERE IS DADDY WHEN WE NEED HIM!"

She tried some more. I said, "Perhaps we won't be eating applesauce tonight."

After a kajillion attempts, Emily grabbed a sharp knife and began sawing off the lid. She was not to be deterred. When she was successful, she shouted in a strong, powerful voice:

(All together now): I AM WOMAN!!!!!

I then added: HERE ME ROAR!!!!

Emily roared a mighty roar. I wish you could have been here.

Once she had it opened, she was so exhausted that she didn't even want any of its lovely contents. Oh well, it will still be here tomorrow.

I Feel My Savior's Love

One activity that our family enjoys each November is coming up with a list of our blessings. I usually have a small poster board taped to a kitchen wall and throughout the month, we list things that we are grateful for. This month, most of my blog posts will be an virtual poster board as I share the things I am grateful for.

This past year I have come to appreciate, love, and know my Savior, Jesus Christ in a greater, deeper way. As I have studied the Atonement, I realize that as He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, that He not only took on the sins of all mankind, but also our sorrows, sicknesses, and tribulations as well. When I am hurting or sick, He knows what I'm feeling and that thought brings me great comfort. Perhaps no one else knows exactly what I am going through--but my Savior does.


I also know that He knows the end from the beginning. He knows what experiences we need to reach our full potential. Sometimes these experiences are challenging and we would prefer not to go through them. But, when we look back, many times we can see how much we have grown.

Today I was reading the Church News. President Eyring recently spoke about this principle as he spoke to 77 stake in Northern Utah.

"Jesus Christ reigns in the affairs of men, even though many or most people fail to recognize His hand. He does not give an assurance of all that we might want, but we have a sure way to gain His assistance even in the worst of times. The kingdom of God in the earth is His Restored Church."

He then advised members to put the kingdom of God first in their lives and trust in the Lord for the rest, and that if they do so they will have the Lord's help while confronting life's inevitable difficulties.

I know that this is true. How grateful I am for the love of our Savior. How grateful I am for His tender mercies in my family's lives. I am grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I hope that I can become more like Him.

Post-It Notes

Grandpa Harmon

When my children were young, I used to sing to them before naps and bedtime. My repertoire included Primary songs, "Jumbo Elephant" which my mom sang to me growing up, and a song I have never heard anywhere else--a combination of Rock-a-Bye Baby with an added verse of Hush Be Still.

When I was a little girl, my parents took me nearly every year to visit my mother's parents. They lived several hours away, so it was always a treat to see them. One of my favorite memory's of those visits was sitting in my Grandpa's lap as he sat in a large, upholstered rocker. I remember it being a dark red, but that might be my imagination playing tricks on me. He would also be holding at least one or two of my siblings at the same time.

Grandpa Harmon

Slowly he would rock back and forth, back and forth and begin singing Rock-a-Bye-Baby. When he got to the end of the song he would begin singing:

Hush be still,
As still as a mouse,
There's a baby in the house
Not a monkey, not a toy,
But a happy brown-eyed boy.

He would then go back to singing Rock-a-Bye-Baby. I don't know how many times I heard him sing this song, but it stuck with me.

Three days after my eleventh birthday, I was practicing the piano when the phone rang. That wasn't too unusual in our house. The phone was constantly ringing. My mother answered the phone and then came out to the living room to tell me that Grandpa Harmon had passed away. I was shocked. It was the first person I ever knew who had died. I thought of this gentle man holding two or three squirmy grandchildren in his lap at a time and softly singing. I remember sitting at the piano crying.

Ten and a half years later, I held my first daughter in my arms. One of the first songs I sang to her was Grandpa Harmon's version of Rock-a-Bye-Baby. I changed the words slightly to describe her eye color and the fact that she was a girl. I sang this song to each daughter as they joined our family, but I'm not sure if I ever told them where I had learned the song.

I'm looking forward to someday being a grandmother and holding my own squirmy grandchildren in my lap as I sit in my soft blue rocking chair. As I softly sing Hush Be Still to them, I will think back to how their great-great grandfather introduced this song to my family. Perhaps one day, they will sing it to their grandchildren as well.

Waking up Happy

I Love to See the Temple

The Sacramento Temple

I love the Primary Hymn, "I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday. To feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray..."

Last Friday night, Ron and I went to the temple with members of our ward. We had a sealing assignment. As I listened to the promised blessings I was filled with joy and gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father who makes it possible for us to be united as families for all eternity. The sealer shared with us that approximately 50 generations separate us from Abraham. For some reason, this made Abraham seem more like a close relative like a beloved Grandpa instead of someone whose story is only found in the Bible.

The temple has always been important to me. I remember as a little girl attending the Oakland Temple Open House. I don't remember much about the event except walking up a very steep parking lot and thinking my legs would not make it.

Later, as a 12 year old, I remember the special, reverent feelings I had doing baptisms for the dead. As a Senior in High School, I had the opportunity of being on the temple ground nearly every day for a week performing in the Temple Pageant. That was a life changing event as I felt the Spirit testify to me that the things I was hearing and singing about are true.

I remember the anticipation I felt as Ron and I prepared to be married in the temple. I recall waiting with Ron in the Celestial Room for our turn to be married. I held his hand and could not believe this special day was finally here! I was filled with great joy when the sealer joined us together as husband and wife for eternity.

This past summer as Ron and I attended the temple nearly every week, it became our anchor during our uncertain time. When we became nearly consumed with stress, we knew that a visit to the temple would bring us peace and help us remember the great love our Heavenly Father has for us. We looked forward to those weekly visits because we knew that for a few hours we would find peace and comfort. We would also return home filled with strengthened faith and hope.

I recall one visit in particular when I felt such overwhelming joy! It was a feeling I had not had in a very long time. I believe it was a gift from my Heavenly Father assuring me that we were not forgotten and that we could experience joy even during the dark times.

As we were at the temple Friday night with members of our ward family, I glimpsed to a small degree what Heaven will be like. I am so grateful for temples here on the earth and for their saving ordinances.