Donald Elmo

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Donald Elmo 88 years ago. Happy Birthday to the man who taught me to fold fitted sheets. I loved this positive man who always referred to me as beautiful. I'm sure he's busy orchestrating some event. By the way, I need some help with my computer skills. Donald only taught me the importance of learning to type.

Goin' to Salt Lick

Beautiful as an Arizona Sunrise

About this time thirty-one years ago, I was frantically washing my elbow length hair. Why do I remember this? I was feeling contractions about two minutes apart, and even though the doctor had told me just the afternoon before not to expect my baby for about two weeks, this was the real deal. It was a Friday and Mel had a test at school that morning so he had been up late studying. He was in his pedo rotation. He usually rode his bike the thirteen miles to school, but was planning to car pool with Mark Peterson and Bob Critchfield that day. It was Mark's turn to drive. Mel called Mark to tell him he wouldn't be riding and to ask if Shelley could watch our other kids while we went to the hospital. It was a foggy morning, because we weren't in Arizona, and I remember how little our three looked getting out of the car and running with their blankets through the wet air into our friends house. At the hospital, the nurse checked me and her eyes grew wide as she ran for the doctor. He came in and literally caught our baby as she entered the world at 6:30 AM, not more than a very few minutes after our arrival at the hospital. It was the first time Mel was in the delivery room and it all made him a little light headed. But she was as beautiful as an Arizona sunrise, and had we been in Arizona, there may have been a beautiful sunrise, but we weren't. She was Sara. The doctor was surprised that she was more than four pounds, like he had predicted and that she came so soon. So, I was fine, she was fine, and Mel was fine, so he went to school and took his test and went on to the pedo clinic to finish out his day. Happy Beautiful Arizona Sunrise! Happy Birthday Sara!

What would we do without her?

She is amazing! She willingly shares her talents and abilities at the expense of her own time and sleep and continues to smile. Thank you sweet Sara!

The Gila Valley Temple is dedicated and beautiful

Philippians 4:7- And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Important Reminder

As I came home today after a sweet day with the little boys, being a little self absorbed with my list and realizing that a throw up smell was soaking my shirt, I received this reminder of what I really want to be like from one of my favorite ladies.
"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a stationwagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing my neighbor's lawn.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with the children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived." ~Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Now I realize that "no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom..." (3 Nephi 27:19) but I think this is a pretty humbling reminder from a beautifully nearly perfect lady. I think I'll just keep this shirt on a while longer.

Mocking is for the birds

Mr. Mockingbird lives here. He is very protective of his home and is a little like one of our children who had the rest of the family convinced that he owned half the house. This guy doesn't really care who makes the mortgage payments, because he OWNS the yard and dive bombs anyone who threatens his domain in the Spring. Well, happily, Spring must be done, because I didn't get dive bombed today when I went out into the back yard. You'd think you would need a large and spacious building to do your mocking. Apparently not. It gives me one reason to like Summer.