Temple Blessings

Since Sunday being at church with Scott I have been contemplating the beginning of Scott's ordeal and the roll that I played in it. I have never been more grateful than I am today that I try everyday to live my life in accordance to the commandments of our Heavenly Father. I was truly blessed during this time. The knowledge in knowing that I would be able to bless my family's life by accomplishing the spiritual task that Diane would ask of me.

Saturday April 10, after arriving at Swedish hospital Thursday night Diane asked me to attend the Seattle Temple with her. It was a pleasure and honor to accompany her there. She had a personal knowledge from the Lord that if she would do what Heavenly Father asked of her that He would spare Scott's life. In the ambulance coming from Wenatchee as she passed the Seattle Temple she knew the Lord was asking her to attend as quickly as possible. On that Saturday it took extreme faith on her part to leave her husband in the NICU clinging on to life. I hope that I too could have the same faith in following through with what the Lord wanted in a similar situation. We attend the Seattle Temple where the sweet spirit of reassurance came to her that He would be there for her, walk with her, and strengthen her during this trial. What a blessing to be able to share this experience with her. As the weekend progressed the family rallied around her. Daniel sent Caroline out here from Utah to assist her sister in whatever she needed. How thankful I am that my daughter has a caring husband that knew and understood the importance of this event in our family's life. Thank you Daniel!

On Wednesday Caroline and I flew to her home. (I already had a plane ticket for a vacation with her, a gift form JJ and Christina) Thank you JJ and Christina!!! It was hard for the two of us to leave Di and Scott but Diane assured me that she felt this was the place to go and be at this time. We both felt assurance from the Lord this is where I should be at this time. What a true blessing this ended up being. Thank you Diane for listening to the Lord I would never have been able to attend the temple so often had I not been within a couple of miles of a temple.

As we arrived I told Diane that I was going to just be alone at the apartment working on genealogy and that I would be attending the temple there later in the week. I started that Thursday morning off just gently and quietly moving around after having a visit with the Lord to bless my family in all their needs that week when I received a phone call from Diane. Things were not going well with Scott's temperature and she was just downright worried about things. Could I please go to the temple. The temple is a mile and half from Caroline's apartment.

This is a picture taken from their apartment balcony. Since I had planned to stay at the apartment that day I didn't keep Caroline's care. I didn't know the full layout of the land and there was a major highway to cross to get to the temple. I decided not to walk across the shopping center (which would have been the shortest route) because I didn't know where the road was to get over the highway to the temple. I ended up walking around the wilderness backside. The walk was nice and flat until I got up to the last. Do they always build the temples on a hill in the area? Seems like it to me. The real heartache came though as I got up to the temple. There was a lady walking in and I asked her if I could follow her around because I had not been here before. As we came to the desk and asked for the clothing area they told me that they didn't have one. (For my family who do not know we were all white clothing while in the temple.) I didn't even think about them not having a clothing area, tears began to roll. I couldn't stop them. Here Diane had asked me to attend for Scott and I wasn't going to be able to. One of the sister temple workers saw my heartache and came to the rescue. "We never turn anyone away." she said. "Come with me and I will help you with clothing." How grateful I am for such a kind and caring sister. I didn't attend the regular a session but went on to another area of the temple and there I felt that I had been directed by the Lord to be. What wonderful blessings can come to the family from temple attendance.

Through out the week I was able to attend several times. Once with Caroline and what a blessing to be able to be in those walls jointly praying for our family. The evening before my kids were to show up in court over a shooting incident that happened last Christmas I found myself in the temple walls twice that day. (That story in another post.) While they were in court and later that evening. Upon my evening arrival it was so comforting to see a sister from my ward. Ina Hjort what a blessing your appearance was to me that evening. I do love how the Lord sends angels to be with us in our times of need.

I don't know how I would have been able to handle all that had gone on at this time if I didn't have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. The reassurance that Heavenly Father is in control of all that was happening and to know His Son Jesus Christ was their and had atoned for all the anguish and sorrow that was running through my heart and veins.

A Beautiful Sabbath

It was a very special Sabbath today. Scott attended church and what a wonderful sacred blessing it was to my life. Tears of joy and reverence ran down my checks and spilled upon my top. Very obvious wet drops proclaiming that I had been crying and even though it would have embarrassed me at any other time today it did not. This was truly a sacred experience. I know of Christ's Atonement. How it blesses my life. But today sitting with Scott in Sacrament meeting a new experience of awe came over me, a much deeper meaning of the Atonement and what it meant for me. The miracle of an every loving Heavenly Father and our Elder Brother Jesus Christ, what They have so willing decided and worked to do for each and every one of us. My love for Them has increased immeasurably. Thank you Scott for inviting me this weekend and allowing me to share in this very special experience.

My Little Cobster

The Cobster is quit the opposite of his sister! He is a very mild manner person, of course that can change according to his sister's teasing. A whole different person comes out. Mostly he is just mild manner. He is the builder, Lego gamer and performer. Legos are everywhere and he builds away. You ask him what he wants for a gift and it is another Lego set. I refuse to buy anymore because he has so many. Then there are the Lego PS3 games and Lego games on the computer that he plays or would play for hours on end.

In the picture he is doing an impersonation of Mr. Thinker in The Night at the Museum. When he was younger he always loved performing the Sponge Bob Song. He had a nice little routine for that one.

Cobster is following in his Dad's tracks in being a movie buff. They enjoy telling each other what actors played in another movie. Cobster isn't always right but it is very outstanding in how often he is right for as young as he is.

Corky, My only Granddaughter

Corky, which is a nickname from her mom, is my little teaser. Even though she is or can be the extreme teaser this is mild in comparison to the story that she loves to tell about what her Dad did to her when she was little. The story goes as she tells it. When she was born her Dad was feeling her head and there were bumps there. Now as time began to pass by and she began growing her Dad noticed that there were horns growing where the bumps were. He had to cut them off and still needs to file them down every now and then. She then lets you feel her head where the filed down bumps are.

Corky is very competitive. This last spring her preschool gave a musical performance at a fundraiser concert. She began to sing a little loudly and another girl decided to compete with her. Each one would get a little louder and then the other would increase her volume by the end
they were the only two that could be heard and my little Corky was able to raise the volume the loudest. I'm afraid that she could rival her Nana there.

Another example in this young little thing carrying things to extreme. This weekend while visiting them I began to tease my Little Lobster, Corky's brother, by wrapping him up in my arms and holding him close and saying things like "I'm going to get you." or "I'm never going to let you go." just nonsense stuff. Corky decided she was going to do the same thing and was all over him physically. Of course it was not okay with him to have his sister doing such a thing so she did so even more. When I told her that we needed to stop there came out that devilish twinkle in her eye and attacked again. Maybe the filing needs to happen again tonight.

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Christopher and I were watching the movie All Dogs Go To Heaven the other day and I reminisced about 3 special dogs in my life. I know they too earned their right in heaven by the faithfully service that they gave to me. At this time I would like to pay tribute to 3 of those dogs who were faithful companions while watching over me during my deafness. This is a little bit of their stories.

This is the only good focused picture I could find of Patches. This is Suzanne with him and with as young as she is you can tell how old this picture is. Patches was a Christmas gift to Donald when he was in first grade. Patches was a roamer and very hard to keep at home. I would hear stories from people that he was down in the dairy and I knew when he went there because he always came back smelling like the dairy. Always called for bath time. He was also seen crossing Hwy 9 and over into a housing area there. He was one for you leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. Bother me and I'll show my strength. Thank goodness he never hurt anyone but there were plenty afraid of him. As I lost the final part of my hearing he became my protector. He stayed by my side and slept by me all the time I was down with meneries attacks. When he became old and developed problems in his hips, we had to start holding up his back legs and taking him to the bathroom. My heart ached for him. It took me a long time to decided that we needed to put him down. I studied, read, prayed and finally talked with a vet in Diane's Mt. Vernon ward about putting animals down. It was one of those hardest decision I had to make . I drove him up to Mt Vernon and with having said our last good byes I headed home and while driving there was a sweet calm to come over me and I knew that I had done him right. He had faithfully served me well and there was no more reason for him to suffer any longer.

Nikki was my service hearing dog thus my constant companion. She went everywhere with me and helped me out with not being able to hear. A couple things about her. She was gentle and kind, afraid others and I had to stop taking her with me every where I went. I did a lot of visiting at schools for I was on the school board and the kids wanted to pet her. She did not like the fact that I left her and the first time I left her at home she showed her retaliation by jumping up into the middle of my bed and wetting on it. Not funny. I then had Donald make sure that he took careful watch on her when I was gone and she became a second companion to Donald. In her later years which were not close to the amount of years a boarder collie is expected to live she started chasing Rich's practice golf balls, the plastic ones with holes in the them. She really chewed on them and he still has three of them hanging from his desk. She was much loved by Rich also. Nikki started loosing weight, not being as mobile and by the time I took her to the vet her lungs were full one 3/4 and the other 1/2. I had to make a decision again. This time the answer was easier. The hard part was, would the vet come to my house. After calling him he said he would. Nikki hated going to the vet I just could not put her through that anxiety during this time. Christina, Suzanne and myself were here with Nikki to the end. It was a very spiritual experience. We all love and miss her. She died two years ago Christmas of lung cancer.

A week or so ago we lost Nola a faithful and wonderful yellow lab at work. I often times would work late at night because I'm just a night person. Nola would always come in and lay under the table near my sewing machine. She was just a faithful night companion with her around I never felt alone or afraid that someone would bother me. I was also able to be there along with her owners had the same kind vet come out and put her down. To all those loving, constant dependable loyal dogs who we know is one of those ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN.