Work, doctors, life, fence and temple

WORK…

It's been crazy since school started again and I've been hanging on. It always takes me a while to get used to spending 2.5 hours a day working...added into my regular schedule. This year we have a new assistant manager, and it's been stressful. She is having a hard time learning her duties. The other two of us are doing our best to pick up the odds and ends, and we are getting tired. Time will tell if she will be able to do this job. Add in Relief Society, food orders and more Relief Society…I’m going full speed most days. Enough said on that.

DOCTORS…

What else is up is my blood pressure…again. Ugh! It was just borderline high at my doctor’s appointment, but she was worried about it. (The question I have, which no one can answer satisfactorily, is why when my bp was at this level for 10 years they didn't worry about it, but now they get all worried.) She gave me a new prescription (not the one that worked…that would be too easy!) The results were headaches during the night and generally not feeling well during the day, weight GAIN and an INCREASE in my blood pressure. Next I talked to the naturopath about my bp problem. He discovered I am detoxing heavy metals (aluminum and tin in particular) and said that would cause my bp to go up.

WHAT! YOU MEAN THERE'S A CAUSE FOR WHY MY BP WOULD BE GOING UP?! ONCE AGAIN...the doctor was prescribing meds to cover up a symptom while ignoring possible causes. FROM HERE ON OUT THE NATUROPATH IS IN CHARGE OF MY INSIDES AND THE DOCTOR IS IN CHARGE OF EMERGENCY ACCIDENTAL CARE ONLY!

LIFE…

James finally got his Life badge in scouts! He is excited to get working on his Eagle and wants to finish it before he turns 17.

FENCE…

Our poor fence has been sagging for a number of years and we decided it was time to fix it. We took out 11 posts…8 of which were so rotten they weren’t even supporting the weight of the fence anymore. The only thing that kept it up were two rebars, one telephone pole and one bush.

The poor, sagging fence

The three "good" posts

Cementing in the new posts...we decided we never want to do this again!

The new posts are looking good!

Taking out our frustration...

The new fence

Next summer's project...

I can't forget to mention the help we had yesterday getting the fence finished. Kirk Banister and the boys came; each had a hammer. The boys were so cute and pounded away for as long as there were nails to pound. The elders, one of John's friends, our home teacher (Ron Wright) and one other man from the ward also came to help. The fence was finished in less than two hours. Thanks everyone!

TEMPLE…

We traveled to Twin Falls for another family temple trip. Our friend Carol had more names ready for baptism and asked us to meet her there. We did 95 baptisms. I had heard over and over through the years that the people we did the work for would greet us on the other side and thank us for doing their work. I never believed it. I always thought they would greet other people, but that I would be overlooked like I was here.

Two things that happened recently helped me to understand how they really will be waiting for me and wanting to thank me when I get there. The first was meeting the Honduran family online again. They looked me up! They remembered me! They thanked me over and over for the efforts I had put into my mission and teaching them!

The second thing was the Spirit. As they told us that these people would be waiting to thank us on the other side, I knew it was true…even for me!

Here's a link to James' blog. He is posting some of his short stories, and they are really good...(even if I am a bit prejudiced!)

The first (and only one posted so far) had me riveted! James learned a new word...he didn't know what riveted meant...ha ha.

http://zingmonkey.blogspot.com

Que buena!

It has been so fun to catch up with the Meza family from my mission. It's so gratifying to know how they have been for the last 25 years and to see the things they have done. I was chatting with Francy tonight. She told me that she was Relief Society president for four years and now is working in the other Relief Society meetings as well as teaching the temple prep class. Her husband is an assistant in the high priests. They are preparing for a temple trip to Guatemala on October 20. She says they go every year and she loves being in the temple. I know they are excited to have connected with me as I am with them. This technology is great! I need a current photo of them. This is the best I could do from their facebook albums.

Nancy (I think), Francy and Jasmin

Francy and her son Manases when he was on his mission--coming or going, I'm not sure which

And with all this Spanish floating around on my facebook I think my English is slipping a little. I was filling out the conducting sheet for Relief Society today and wrote for the lesson "Faith en Cristo" ha ha!

Sometimes I'm slow

The other day I wrote about something I finally "got" while at the temple with Johnathan and Laney on Saturday.

Tonight I went to a Regional Auxiliary Training meeting and had the opportunity to learn at the feet (almost literally...I was on the second row back, within five feet of the speakers) of two members of the General Relief Society board. On top of that, the Relief Society presidents from our stake and one other stake were invited to attend a focus group with Sisters Staples and Doxey from the General Board.

After being spiritually fed and having several "ah ha" moments, I can honestly say...

I feel like I finally kinda know what I'm supposed to be doing!

200th post

I've seen people do fun contests and drawings for their 100th and 200th posts. I'd like to do that sometime, but at this stage in my life I'm noticing something a little strange.

At 100 posts...Johnathan came home from his mission and I was writing about it.

At 200 posts...Johnathan was getting married and I wrote about that.

Oh well, maybe things will slow down a little and I'll get to do something really fun for the 300th post. LOL

Change in perspective

I've had a little time to collect my thoughts about Saturday. One thing the sealer did with John and Laney was to have them look in the mirrors. He told them that the one direction was their ancestors and stretched on and on forever. The other direction was their posterity, which also went on forever. I've seen this done several times, including our own wedding, but I never caught the full vision of what it meant. One thing that made Saturday so powerful for me was that I finally got it.

I've been playing a game on facebook called "FrontierVille." In this game you are given tasks to do and as you complete them you are given new tasks. There are tasks for the house, barn, school, inn and so on. Each series has 5-10 (or so) tasks in it.

I've been thinking how much life is like that. Heavenly Father set up a series of tasks for us to do. There's the "growing up" series of tasks that includes: attending elementary school, getting baptized, graduating from primary. Then there's the "teenage" series: going to Young Men's or Young Womens, attending junior high and high school, dating, learning to drive, and graduating. Then there's the college, mission, and marriage series, which ends with the "get married in the temple" task. All that is followed by the parenthood series. At that point some of the new tasks are: teach your children to work, get your children to do their homework, and raise your children without killing them...to name a few. One of the tasks in this series is the "get your children to temple marriage" series.

Yesterday was a culmination of the "get your children to temple marriage" series for us as we watched Johnathan and Laney get sealed as a couple. However, the next series was opened up for us to see...It is the "help get your grandchildren to the temple" series. We think we know the entire plan and then another view is opened up and we see more of Heavenly Father's perspective. That can be mind boggling.

It all makes me so happy to have the gospel in my life, and to know that Heavenly Father has a plan. I don't understand the entire plan, but I know He does. I'm glad I've learned to trust Him, and I know He is in charge.

The big day

At this moment I'm having a hard time putting my feelings to words (too little sleep, too much stress and too many feelings all at once). Besides the fact that it was such a special experience that I don't know the words to express it all. Today "a picture says a thousand words" will have to do.

Johnathan and Laney Jenson

September 4, 2010

Boise, Idaho

The part that got to me the most was watching them drive away. True to fashion, Johnathan honked all the way down the street!

Just another one of those goodbye times. (see the post before this one)

Tomorrow...

First I sent him to kindergarten. He ran in to greet his teacher and new friends without looking back. I went out for some shopping therapy.

Then I sent him into the lone and dreary world when he went on his mission. He was excited and didn't look back. I read my mission journals and reminded myself of all the blessings and growth he would be gaining.

Now, I send him off to start his own family. He's still only looking forward with excitement...

I feel anxious because I know he is starting on some of the hardest years of his life, as he creates this new family, gets through school and settles into a career...

BUT I'm looking forward to grandchildren!

2 days

What you typically think of as sibling rivalry didn't exist in our house...ever! Johnathan has always been so tender with his siblings. Johnathan was 3 years old when Timothy was born. I was able to leave the hospital on time, but Timothy had to stay for a full 10 days. Johnathan cried because we had to leave the baby at the hospital. He never reverted to earlier behavior because the baby was getting all the attention. He never treated Timothy, James or Hannah poorly. He has always been so sweet, caring and patient with them.

However, a type of sibling rivalry did finally show up at our house...

When Timothy got his Eagle, he pinned the father's pin ABOVE Johnathan's pin on Tom's lapel. James says he will put his above Tim's AND he will be younger than they were when he gets it done!

But I think Johnathan got even when he proposed to Laney the day AFTER Timothy received his mission call!

3 days

Johnathan has always had a good head on his shoulders. He has been able to discern right and wrong and make wise choices. I always felt sad that some of my siblings were examples of poor choices, but what a wonderful son I was blessed with...a boy who could look at his uncle and aunt and decide at the age of 3 that he would not smoke and drink like they did.

We talked a lot about choices in our family from the time Johnathan was tiny, and it showed in his first testimony. He was nearly 4 years old, and gave his testimony by himself with no prompting. "I'm a big guy. I know the church is true. I know that my church is true. Boys and girls need to have right choices. I want everyone to be happy in the whole world. My testimony is about Jesus. So, boys and girls, we need to get right choices. I want everyone to be happy in the whole country. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

I probably should have worried about the friends Johnathan chose to hang with over the years, but I knew he was strong. He knew where he was going and how to get there. Most of his friends have been non-members. Rather than them being a poor example for him, he has been a good example for them. He accepts them where they are at and loves them no matter what they choose, but at the same time he has helped many of them overcome a wide range of problems. I guess that's where he found his talent for psychology. The van has been known as "Dr. John's mobile psychologist office" for years now!