Christmas Babies! and Christmas Fun

Greg, along with Tori, Juli, and Christian, arrived on Wednesday to celebrate Christmas with us. While Dan and Colin were still working on Thursday, the four of us betook ourselves to the movies to see Tangled. We gave it 5 stars. Then Greg and the munchkins spent a couple of hours at Planet Kid for some active fun after the previous day's looong drive from Denver. Santa surprised us all by coming a day early, on Friday! Hey, but we're all good sports, we just went with it, and enjoyed it to the max. It's been a regular fashion show ever since, what with the cool costumes Aunt Julie and cousin Liz made for the kids. We've got everything from a dinosaur, to a flamenco dancer, a fancy pettiskirted or kimono clad girl, and a fairy, to a super hero apt to show up for meals. Right now, Christian is doing gymnastics for Colin and Macey, while Grandpa, Greg, and the girls, and Jason and Brianna are playing board games in the next room. I'm telling you, these little ones rarely stop moving!

We had a yummy fiesta for dinner today, and I think the star was the appetizer, penguins in the snow, that I asked Brianna and Jason to make. Such cute little guys, and tasty too.

But the biggest surprised of all came from Neil and Penny! Their little twins, due in Feb., but expected to arrive in late January, were born today! I guess they just didn't want to miss Christmas this year. Their little son, McKay Lancaster was born at 4:51PM, weighing in at 4 lb 10 oz. And his sister, McKenna Tecla was born 8 minutes later, and weighed 4 lb. 9 oz. Prayers for a safe delivery were answered, and happy tears of gratitude shed. Dan and I now have 11 grandblessings to love.

It was wonderful to be able to talk to Shane, in faraway Queens New York this morning, too. This old year has been a very happy one, with much happiness expected to come ringing and winging in with the new. Many thanks to a kind Heavenly Father are in order, and to our loving and caring family and friends!

Love Waits

I read a very uplifting email today, and a very uplifting post. Our world needs a lot more uplifts, right? So I'll share a bit of both. The post is by Dr. Terry Hamblin, England's world-renowned CLL expert. Although he's undergoing a very uncomfortable chemo regimen in a second bout with abdominal cancer, he makes time to answer all kinds of questions on the CLLC Friends forum. From his answers there and other ritings, it's obvious that he is a good, caring, thoughtful and intelligent man. I think you'll agree when you read this:
"Last week was a particularly bad week for side effects and they were beginning to get me down. At one point I found myself very angry at the whole situation. I know that anger is part of the experience of most patients with cancer, but I have always been able to approach my illness pretty rationally. My angry thoughts were, "Why has this happened to me?" "What did I ever do to deserve this?" "It's not fair!" "Why does God let this happen to me?" Yesterday's sermon certainly helped me. Like Israel I was facing massive problems. Mine mightn't be nine feet tall like Goliath, but it seemed too big for me to tackle. But whereas to the Israelite army Goliath seemed unfaceable, to David he was an uncircumcised Philistine defying God. David not only had a proper view of Goliath, he had a proper view of God: not a leader who had gone missing, but The LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel. David was also able to look at himself clearly. He knew that he had been anointed secretly by Samuel; he knew he had killed the bear and the lion when protecting his father's sheep; and he knew the hand of God in placing him precisely where he was to do the will of God.
"Instead of complaining of our lot, we need to be aware that God is working his purposes out in us. If we were only given tasks that we could easily accomplish on our own, then we would easily claim the credit. But we are faced with tasks that overwhelm us and frighten us and come close to defeating us. Why? So that we realize that we need the Almighty Lord to accomplish them. When we feel alone and deserted, then we need to turn to God - not blaming him for leaving us, but confessing that it is we who have stopped looking at him. Psalm 10 begins: Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? But it ends: The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.

"The story of David and Goliath is well known. It was not the triumph of a littl'un over a big'un as it is popularly portrayed. It was the triumph over an upstart by the Almighty God who fights evil with good, lawlessness with justice, hate with love and haste with patience. If there is a God, say some, let him wipe out poverty in Africa, sort out the cholera in Haiti, deal with the North Koreans, round up the drug-dealers, punish the pedophiles, stop the people trafficking, and rid the world of prostitution, pornography, murder, robbery, political corruption and fraud. But God looks at robbers and murderers, prostitutes and pedophiles, drug dealers and even politicians and sees people who might be redeemed by the blood of his son, if they only had a second chance. So he waits."

Often, love is called upon to wait. charity, which is the pure love of Christ, is patient, and it suffereth long. God waits for His purposes to be fulfilled. And to be like Him, we must sometimes waitt ... and wait ... and wait, too. My thanks to Dr. Terry for humbly sharing his wise reflections on his blog.
http://mutated-unmuated.blogspot.com/


I'll post the email I mentioned later.

Happiness and Gratitude Abound

My gratitude cup has been filling up more and more of late. It's not overflowing, but it's pretty close. For the last few months, we've had the privilege of seeing our son Colin and a lovely young lady become friends, and then sweethearts, and now, they're engaged to be married. Macey comes from a strong and happy family, and that's what we anticipate they'll create for themselves, too!

Yesterday was the anniversary of the start of Shane's mission. That means we're halfway to the point of being able to hug him and have him with us again! I sent him pictures of our newly decorated home (yes, JoLyn's been here again), and this is how he began this week's letter:
"Wow, geez. It looks like you put work in on that house. Things look a lot different... including different names for everything... almost makes it seem like it is a new house. Well, it may not be a new house, but it is a different one, which I guess does indeed make it a new house. I hope you are enjoying it and avoiding bumping into things since it has all been rearranged. Things have been going really well here. We had transfers earlier this week, and it already feels like that was forever ago. My new companion is Elder Mathusek. He hails from New Jersey. His house is about 30 minutes away from where we are serving here in Queens. He has about five months left in the mission. He is a great guy who is very dedicated to the work and knows how to make friends with the members and investigators. I am looking forward to working with him for the next while."
He gives us some specifics about several families they're teaching , and then he concludes with:
"This week has been really good. I have learned a lot about loving other people and valuing the times I am able to share with others. The mission is an incredibly unique experience that I have been given to help me be happy. I am learning how to love others and how to show it. I am feeling the sweet sensations of sensational sweetness. Things are good here. I am happy. I hope all is well with the family and people are safe and enjoy the things they are doing. Our Heavenly Father still exists and still loves us. The church is still true, and I hope you know I love you, because I do." I'm grateful that I do know that, and I know he knows I/we love him so so much, too.

As I mentioned, my amazing, seemingly tireless friened, JoLyn, paid us a long and productive visit just recently. She was here for 10 days, but it went by in a flash. She gave almost the whole house a fun makeover. We love it! Brianna went carpet shopping with us, and we had lunch together at a little favorite bistro of hers. She was so eager to see how everything was shaping up, that we invited her and Jason over for lunch before we were completely finished. I'll show her the changes next week when they're here for Thanksgiving dinner, which she claims, by the way, will be ruined unless we have pumpkin swirl cheesecake on the menu. :)

So, you can see that happiness and gratitude do indeed abound. And we wish a blessed and happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Real by Macey

A Party Like No Other!

I was lucky enough to stumble into a month-long party today, and I'm excited about it! I'd already decided to take a break from blogging, and to tell everyone I'd be away for awhile. But now I'll be away attending party after party after party after party! And you can come too, if you like. I hope you do like!
This has always been a big party month in our family. Dan was born in September, as were three of our seven sons, as well as our first grandson. Happy birthday to Shane on the 3rd, Dan on the 10th, Ethan, Greg, and Jaxon on the 30th! In the words of Marie Antoinette, "Let them eat cake!"

But I've just learned that starting today, there's a huge month-long family proclamation celebration going on all over blog land. You can join the party at Jocelyn Christiansen's blog. Find it at http://beinglds.blogspot.com/2010/09/are-truths-of-family-proclamation-new.html

I confess I don't know how to post the link properly, but I'll ask Colin or Brianna if one of them can do it for me. Until then though, you can probably copy and paste and get there. So long for now. You'll be in my heart and prayers.

Honey Bunches of oxoxo's

Little did either of us know that morning 37 years ago, what our life would be like today. It hasn't been a cake walk; it hasn't always been sweet. But we are changed and we are better for having spendt these years together. And yes, we love and are more grateful for each other than we were way back then. Who knows if there are limits to these feelings. Perhaps they continue to grow throughout the eternities. Stay tuned, and we'll find out. Happy anniversary from Bonnie to Dan.

Miracle, or Lucky Break?

Well, they feel like miracles to me, but I suppose others might call it luckk. I guess the difference is how invested you are in the issue, and how much divine guidance you've sought? I feel extremely grateful to Heavenly Father for what I see as two life-changing blessings, or miracles, I believe He's had a hand in during the last few weeks. One of my beloved sons is at the center of the first huge blessing. Greg was almost persuaded to marry Mae, over-ruling his reservations for lack of hard evidence, focusing on her talents instead. But often, we've learned, warnings precede evidence. Fortunately, the evidence arrived just in time to prevent additional hardship and heartache for him and the children. He found her unconscious on his garage floor, suffering from the unpleasant side effects of huffing propellents. What if she'd managed to keep it hidden until they were married? The kids have had to learn about divorce; thank goodness they've been spared the need to learn any more about addictions! Their mom's brother has unfortunately exposed them to that already. We're so grateful Greg was more than forewarned, he was given proof that this match was not one made in heaven.
The second big blessing is just for me. For four weeks I've had a lot of pain which has made the very act of walking difficult. It started the day after my birthday. What was my body trying to tell me? "Hey, Bonnie, you're getting old!" "Gee thanks, body, I know that. Now be good and work the way you should." My body probably put up some kind of defense, but I couldn't hear it for the pain. Finally, just yesterday, I followed the advice of a few smart people, and started searching for a chiropractor who could help me out. I needed someone who was located pretty close to my home, and I knew I'd feel more comfortable consulting with a woman. I chose someone who met both criteria, and made an appointment for today. This morning I found her website and read the following Q&A there, which sort of calmed my mounting fears.
"Are you going to hurt me? We take great care to provide effective, yet gentle treatments, with your uniquesituation in mind. There are many modern techniques that do not rely on great forceto restore normal joint motion.Do I have to have x-rays? Often x-rays are used to help diagnose Chiropractic conditions. We do not requireevery patient have x-rays before treatment. However, in certain traumatic cases,we may recommend x-rays before you receive treatment. This is for your protection,as we would not want to make your problems worse by incompletely diagnosing yourcondition.Will you rush me in and out? We work with you individually. We listen to your concerns and always try to answeryour questions. We avoid rushing or hurrying to the next patient. We offer lunch,evening and Saturday appointments.How much is this going to cost me? We contract with many major insurance companies and will submit claims for you.We also have payment plans available. We will tell you the cost before we do anything.By combining Chiropractic care with proper home exercises, your treatment time isoften shortened, saving you money.How many times do I have to return? We recommend the treatment program suited to your specific needs. By combining Chiropracticcare with proper, specific home exercises, your treatment and healing times are considerablyshortened. We offer Acute Pain Relief, Corrective Care and Preventive Programs. Thechoice is always up to you.What if I don't get better? We enjoy a good working relationship with many other health care providers in thearea. If you do not respond to our treatment within a reasonable amount of time,we will make referral recommendations to the appropriate specialist."
She understood what was going on very quickly, explained it to me, and showed me what to do to set things right, and said that she is willing to make housecalls. Possibly a past injury (maybe that time I fell down the stairs) damaged my right gluteus medius muscle, causing it to stop doing its job properly, and now some other muscles are working too hard to pick up the slack, becoming angry and inflamed. She taught me a specific exercise to do, and she's coming over Thursday to make certain I'm doing it cdorrectly. Now I can get better, I'll be able to walk on the beach, or just around the block, and I won't have to bug my friends about giving me rides to her office. Both of these blessings have one main recipient, with many others receiving benefits, too, a happy ripple effect.

Our Week in Eden

There were plenty of fun activities, and good eats, even a restaurant called Eats of Eden that I missed out on this time and would like to go back for, but the highlight of the trip was, tada, spending time with nine very special sweet and lively Washburn children that we don't get to see very often. Colin has promised he'll post some pictures of them (soon). The three of us, Dan, Colin, and I, shared a cabin with Greg's and Neil's families. Of the three cabins we've rented thusfar, this was my favorite by a longshot. It was modern and well furnished and in good repair, with a wonderful deck surrounded by scrub oaks and wildflowers, which were not only attractive to us but to various welcome winged creatures. I heard my first hummingbird ever out on the deck. And there were butterflies and bees too. We spied a few hornets that we made sure to steer clear of. I think they were making a home for themselves in the ski lift swing on the deck, so when the sun woke them up for the day, we vacated the swing until sunset. I spent a few happy hours there reading Miss Hickory, my favorite book from my childhood, to Tori, who is a very good listener and observer of nature. I sent Little House in the Big Woods on CD to Tori, Juli, and Christian so they could enjoy it during their long drive from Denver to Eden/Liberty, Utah and back.. Dan and I listened to The Hunger Games while there. I think it's the first book we've ever read together. Colin heard little snatches of it and is reading it now too. The protagonist is a very strong and competent 16-year-old girl. I asked Dan if he knew girls could be so strong, and he replied, "Yes, .... in a book." From now on, I'll be packing a good book to take along on vacation. We've found that it's important to have some quiet time interspersed with the busy, active times.
Greg brought along his girlfriend, Mae, and we appreciated the cooking and cleaning she did! I told her she made it seem like we'd hired a caterer for the reunion. It's clear she's a very talented and capable young woman, but we pray they will take their time before making any serious long-term plans. Once bitten, twice shy, and we know they've both sustained more than one set of toothmarks. OUCH! Guard your hearts, my friends, guard your hearts! I certainly shall. Greg's little ones buzzed about Mae like bees around clover. She seemed to dote on them, putting the girls' hair in French braids and giving Christian his favorite do, a Mohawk. So cute. ( pictures, Colin, pictures!)

Tuesday: Hike to a waterfall; a wiener roast and smores in North Fork Park; swimming in Pineview reservoir.

Wednesday: We met up with Kimball's and Ethan's families for exploring and picnicking at the cool dinosaur park in Ogden. Then we all went back to the cabin for a baby shower for Neil and Penny, and a pulled pork dinner prepared by Mae, followed by a high-spirited talent show!

Thursday: A visit to Carver's Cove Petting Farm for Greg's gang, and a trip to Les Schwab for a brake job on our car for Dan and me. Can you guess who had more fun.

Friday: Ethan and Missy invited us to meet them at a park in Kaysville for a yummy hamburger and fruit picnic, and lots of cousin time on the playground.

Saturday: Kaden's baptism! A luncheon in Jessica's brother's backyard. Then it was time for a few last pictures and saying goodbye all around.





Afterward, we had nice visits with Alan and Linda Washburn, and Julie and Lonnie Baird, including Liz and Amy and their cute little girls, also Joe, Shonn, Zach and Caleb; and Seth even took a little time to favor us with some banjo picking. And we finally got our paws on one of the famous In and Out Burgers. Colin was a huge help in cleaning the cabin and packing up for the trip home. Once back in Boise, we met Ethan and Missy and family at the cemetery and had a family prayer at Jordan's grave. It was our way of including him in our week of family togetherness. Our missionary, Shane, was remembered in our prayers. We are so grateful all went well, everyone stayed safe, and that most of us would even like to reunite again next year. Now that's what I call a success!