Paper Post from Mom September 5, 2015

Growing up in an active LDS family, fasting has always been a part of my life, even when I just observed my parents and older sister participate.  My dad has a unique ability to teach complex concepts in a few simple, powerful words.  I remember when he taught us about fasting.  I understood that there should be a purpose, something I take to the Lord.  I knew the fast constituted refraining from food and water for 24 hours or two meals.  I understood that the money I could have spent on food would give relief to the hungry and the needy when I gave that, plus more to the bishop. I recognized that this time of putting the Spirit above the body was refining and opened me up to greater spiritual gifts.  It all made complete sense intellectually.  But as I matured and had to put the flesh to the principle, the practice of a fast to relieve the poor and increase my own spirituality was not so simple.  In fact, it just felt like hunger for a long time. The flesh was indeed weak.

Later in my teen years, as my physical growth slowed and my spiritual reservoir was little deeper, I started to appreciate the fast rather than dread it.  As I entered my adult years, slowly I began to feel some of the beauty of the fast.  When it was time to decided if I should marry Dad, I welcomed the fast, placing all of my energy into faith that I could know God’s will for me at that important point in my life.  

Then just as I was getting good at it, when I looked forward to monthly prescribed fasts, I entered the era of child-bearing.  During pregnancy and nursing babies, I could not fast.  And I missed it!  I tried it even against good counsel reasoning that especially in the early weeks, it couldn’t hurt much.  But of course I had to relent and answer the larger duty I held as a mother.  

I remember one RS lesson on fasting when I was nursing Cambry a woman shared that her diabetic husband cannot fast.  But he decided to adapt the fast for his body.  So he eats to maintain his body, but so that he has the natural break from the body fasting allows, he eats bland foods or foods he doesn’t like.  I felt that this was just for me so that I could find a way to adapt my fast for the coming years.

A good deal of my adult life I have been pregnant or nursing.  I bore children through 17 years and nursed children at least a year and often longer.  There was one stretch where I never had a break: I went from carrying you to nursing you to carrying Parker without ever weaning.  So there was a very long stretch, perhaps three years, with only adapted fasts.

When I was finally through nursing Parker, I was so excited to make a complete fast.  We were meeting in our current ward and I remember marveling during fast and testimony meeting starting with the sacrament.  The Spirit was so strong, it was almost tangible, electric.  I started peeking around at ward members wondering if they were feeling this intense opening of spirit I felt.  Tears filled my eyes and wet my cheeks the entire meeting.  I felt so much love for my family and my ward members.  And I felt awed that God recognized my yearning, my reaching.  This was a singular event and I didn’t seek or create it, but I treasure it.

In recent years, Isaiah 58:6-12 articulates some of what I felt in that hour:  

6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

8 ¶Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.

9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:

11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Dad has used these verses as bishop when counseling people.  What blessings could we need that aren’t granted here?  Dad himself is counting on this blessing as he prepares for this fast as he needs the gift of the repairer the the breach this Sunday as he meets with a struggling ward member.

When we received a declaration against the Church from a loved one, Elise suggested we all fast.  And we did immediately.  During this time, Grandma P searched fasting and found this gem in the Bible Dictionary:  It was regarded as a natural way of showing sorrow.

My understanding of fasting grows.  I don’t know everything.  But I acknowledge what I have been given.

Since you've been gone... August 31, 2015

...we've been into a bit of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff.

This was Parker's pick.  The L's offered this TARDIS they made for a work party.  Too good, right?

And these were too good not to post:

From Dad August 30, 2015

August 30, 2015

Re: Letter 39 of 3

Dear Riley:

Well, I’m typing this letter on a new computer.  After replacing the battery, power cord, and motherboard on my other computer to no avail, I finally accepted the reality that I needed to go shopping.  This one is considerably more capable than my last and boots up in about 15 seconds.  I’m still limping along until I get office permanently installed and my former hard drive cloned.  It’s kind of funny how dependent we become on these devices and how much we take for granted when things are operating as intended.  At any rate, a big stress has been at least partially lifted.

Yesterday was a full day, but I feel I didn’t get nearly as much done as I planned.  We didn’t anticipate grandma and grandpa P coming home from California today, so went over to pick their garden.  Wow!  What a garden!  It took three adults and two children a little over an hour to pick most of the produce.  We didn’t do an entirely complete job on the small cherry tomatoes because there must have been several thousand.  Anyway, we’re eating a lot of garden produce from both our garden and Grandpa’s.  It’s nice, but I’m certain I never want to care for a garden that size on an extended basis.

The tandem bike is a hit and we’ve put a lot of miles on it already.  Friday evening your mother and I took it up the canyon to Vivian Park (again).  We got sort of a late start so were running out of daylight on the way down. This made things a little more exciting than I was entirely comfortable with but we did OK. (A headlight is another item we’ve now added to our accessories list.)  A bicycle has got to be one of the most accessorized things people own and we’re having fun customizing this tandem to our liking.  Yesterday I took Elise and Aleah out for rides and we had a great time.  Aleah initially told me she didn’t feel comfortable going fast, but I told her she’d gotten on the bike with the wrong person to go slow.  She quickly lost her reservations and settled in for the ride.  She could hardly stop talking about how much fun it was and was sorry to come home at the end.  Anyway, good times and I didn’t feel the time was poorly spent.

Church was good today and I came home tired, but spiritually renewed.  We had SD speak on the importance of choices and he did a good job.  A new young family (H) also spoke on conversion, the power of the Word, and evidence of things not seen which are true.  I was moved by their experiences and the wonderful Spirit they brought to the meeting.  It’s just true and beautiful and the Spirit and the fruits of the gospel bear witness of it.  There were some people in the congregation with faith struggles and I prayed their hearts would be touched.  It was wise council shared in a very personal and tender way which, if followed, would certainly shore up a crumbling foundation of testimony. 

Being the 5^th Sunday we had a combined meeting for the final hour.  We adapted the training we’d received as a bishopric on giving the Sabbath back to the Savior.  I think it went well and we had some wonderful participation from the members.  At any rate, I consider it no small thing that the brethren have determined that the best thing we can do to bolster our faith, increase our spiritual sensitivity, weather all the winds of doctrine which blow, and resist the fiery darts of the adversary is to fully give the Sabbath to the Savior and do His pleasure instead of ours.  This would naturally include a deepening of our understanding of the Atonement and being sanctified through the Sacrament.  If the members could really do this, I’m confident we would see miraculous results in the lives of families and individuals.

We had M and L over for fondue dinner this evening.  (Homemade sourdough of course.) Sorry!  I don’t want to make you homesick, but it was awesome.  I was able to give them priesthood blessings for the new school year following dinner and it brought a sweet spirit into the home.  Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of E’s death.  It’s been a hard year of adjustments for them.  They’re just blessed to have each other through the hard times.  They’re really both extraordinarily good people and I couldn’t help but feel at least a portion of just how very much they are loved by God.

Well, as always I look forward to your letters and pictures.  I’m confident you have an important part to play in your new area and believe you’re already being inspired on how to move the work forward.  I liked your story about the less active member you felt inspired to ask about his baptism and conversion.  I’ve witnessed President B as he questioned two other less active families in the same manner with much the same result.  As they remembered, the Spirit rushed in and their hearts were touched as they in effect bore testimony of the gospel truths they had forsaken to some extent.  All present were uplifted and edified.  We love you and pray for your safety and success numerous times daily.  Stay the course and keep the faith!

Love,

Dad

From Mom, August 30, 2015 The Magic of School

Sunday, August 30, 2015

In answer to Riley's email. No, it's an old bike.  He acutally complains about the lameness of his bike.  But he knows he can make it to school in 3 minutes, 16 seconds on it.

However, I LOVE MY BIKE!!!! There aren't any pictures this week.  Sorry.  I intended to send some.  But the light was always fading and I wanted to BIKE.  Dad and I made it up to Vivian Park a couple times.  I went out with Cambry once and Dad took Elise and Aleah each out last week.  Oh, it's so much fun.  I added SIster J as a friend on FB to see pictures from the last transfer meeting.  Her profile picture is President J and her on a tandem bike, smiling happily.  And then Friday evening Dad and I went up to Vivian Park and ran into Bro and Sis B who had rented a tandem bike from BYU.  Of course.  The coolest people know how to have fun that way.

Cambry really didn't love her ride.  The front seat can only go down so far because the handles are on the post.  So she had to ride in the front.  And Dad's seat hurt her bottom.  She couldn't wait to get home.  We also dropped the chain linking the petals on the way up the Orem Center Street hill.  But we got it back on and petaled the rest of the way up the hill.  I had fun.  I always have fun.  

PS - I only saw you once in the transfer meeting photos on Sister J's FB.  You were sitting in the back next to Bro T who was holding a camera and talking to you.  You looked good.

Oh!  I wanted to tell you something funny that happened this week.  I invited JS to come to book group with me a few months ago.  She was finally going to come this month.  She texted me Tuesday to ask when we met on Thursday, our usual evening and I realized that I had forgotten to forward the email that we had to change when we met this month.  I forwarded that email to her and CD at the same time offering them a ride to book group tomorrow and C happily accepted the ride.  I thought no more of it, other than, "I gotta finish those last 50 pages ASAP."

Later that evening after dinner, since there weren't any bishop appointments, I went for ride with Dad.  It was lovely.

When I got home, Aleah said, "You missed book group."  What?  No, it's tomorrow.  Why would C come to the house looking for me?  Um.  Because it was moved to Tuesday night.  

I totally stood C up and deprived J of her first meeting she could finally make.

And what do I have to say for myself?  That was such a good ride!

Hahahaha.

Love you,

Mom

Dear Riley,

There is something magic in having the kids back in school: I magically feel wiped out all the time again!

I’m sitting in the front room at 9:35 wishing I could have done more today; I mostly feel like I was pushing mud.  Sacrament meeting was so good (AND we were on time!).  We have a young family who moved into the Tennis basement and Dad assigned them topics after having a discussion with them in their home earlier in the week.  They shared very personal stories pertaining to their assigned topics.  I asked Dad afterwards if they had shared those stories with him before he chose their topics.  Nope.  It was just the Spirit.  It’s cool like that.

I visit taught a couple of sisters and we stayed a long time.  I love the sisters we teach and teaching with Sister K.  They have all been a blessing to me over the years in so many ways.

And tonight we had M and L over for dinner and back to school blessings.  I had prayed that E would be able to influence the things Dad said to them.  I felt witness at one point in L’s blessing that my prayer was answered.  Oh how I love those two.  And oh, how I miss my brother at times.  It’s been a year yesterday since he passed.  His birthday is Friday and we are going to have some sort of party this weekend.  (I say as I try to type through tears with a cramp in my throat from suppressing a sob. -- Love is easily recognized when it’s transformed into mourning.)

Then tonight Grandma and Grandpa P dropped by for a little dessert after just pulling into their home from the final clean-up at Grandpa K’s.  The house is sold.  Grandma said she wasn’t sad when she was there, but she was weepy all the way home.  

So it’s been a big day.  Which followed a long, full week of school.  And I have to get to bed soon.  I’m sorry.

So I already told you that I have tandemania and ask Dad every night, “Do you have anything planned?  Wanna go for a bike ride?”  He rides faster and a little tighter than I would dare on my own.  But together it’s fun!

The kids are getting homework and deadlines and it feels real now.  ugh.  Cambry starts classes tomorrow.  But she is so excited for her classes this semester; they are the ones she’s waited to take at the end and they have sat like a tempting dessert on her course requirements.

Parker is doing well.  But he surely feels the weight of his class load.  There is always something waiting for him.  He’s still doing chess club where he’s president and book club too.

Elise is doing well this year.  She seems much more confident and I hear about a lot more friends.  She made the comment that her back to school blessing was all about friends this year.  I guess God is perfectly aware of the developmental stage of his children.  Elise is getting so good on the piano.  She sits down to sight read many pieces and can do justice to them.  She learned Arwin’s Vigil from the Piano Guys for spring festival but had to cut it short as there wasn’t time to learn the entire piece.  She had memorized the entire song and realized that is a blessing to have that in her head wherever she goes.

Aleah is not at ease in her classes.  I’m not sure what needs to happen to help her.  She feels insecure with her English teacher’s math presentation.  And I think she’s still trying to understand the expectations in Chinese.  But I’m confident she’ll do well.  She cares about things, cleans her room regularly (without being asked) and is a great Chinese student I’ve been told many times.

I put all three girls in dance classes this year.  They absolutely love it.  Josie makes connections and she shared first, second and third positions with me last week on the way to the car.  Elise is stretching every day trying to get her splits complete as challenged by her teacher.  Aleah loves, loves, loves dancing.  I think she loves it more than anything else she’s done.  And I’m putting Elise and Aleah in volleyball camp with the community.  Might as well, right? (since I really want someone to play sports for me!)

I also started preschool, home preschool (except all my stuff has been pillaged and is now incomplete, grrr.) of course, for Josie.  She is really ready and needs the engagement.  I had her searching out A, a and 2 on the way to work.  She was finding them and then she said the funniest thing: “Ha, ha. I don’t have to watch where I’m going because I’m not the one driving the car.  If I look for letters, we won’t crash.”  I wondered if she is a quiet backseat driver back there all the time and just realized that she CAN enjoy the scenery after all.

Dad is doing well.  I like seeing his smile more often.  Biking has taken some of the stress off for him.  He bought parts for the bike like brake pads, a speedometer, quick release pins and a new gear shifters.  We didn’t even talk much on Friday’s ride.  But being out together doing the same thing is enough. He made us sourdough -- two loaves! -- for our dinner. They were the prettiest, tallest loaves I think he's ever made. And they were so tastey. There will be two loaves waiting for you on the counter when you come home. I promise.

Well, son.  I look forward to hearing from you.  I hope the work is going well.  I hope you’re serving your companion and listening to those little whispers you can only know later really were the Spirit.  God loves the people in your mission.  He loves your companion.  He loves you.  

We love you and we pray for you all the time.  Keep up the good work.

Love,

Mom

PS - We picked Grandpa's little farm down the street while they were in CA. It took us an hour to do a gleaning, not even a solid pick. And though I got a lot done yesterday, I have this stack of to-do produce which makes me feel inadequate. Poor Grandma! I'm fermenting cherry tomatoes hoping they are as good as everyone on the culturing blogs says they are.

In cleaning up, I ran across this. The Shakespeare quote made me cry. I kept it.

UP Family Photo Shoot August 24, 2015

Since we had to pay for the location and had already done all the costume work, we took a more pictures.

Since you've been gone... August 24, 2015

...you can pretty well see what we've been UP to.

This was Elise's pick.

From Mom August 23, 2015 Back to School

August 23, 2015

Dear Riley,

It feels so long since we communicated.  Those extra couple of days stretch my heart out!  I’m anxious to hear where you are and who you’re with.  Details, please!

You may and may not know that there was a bomb in Central Bangkok Monday evening 7 pm your time.  It was at the Erawan Shrine, a popular tourist spot.  Twenty people were killed and many others injured.  I opened my email and the newsfeed showed the bombing.  So I clicked on the story.  I assumed all the missionaries would be OK as they had their PDay moved a couple days ahead.  But before I could worry, I looked in my inbox and President J had already sent word that all the missionaries were accounted for and safe.  I really appreciated that quick word.  It’s sad that these things happen, really.

We’ve had a big week at home, well even longer than a week.

In my last letter I told you that Dad and I were to celebrate our anniversary.  We stayed in a hotel here in O and were so worn out for the vacation, it was difficult to decide what to do.  But last Saturday we rented a tandem bike from BYU and biked 20 miles up and down the canyon.  IT WAS SO FUN!!!  I came home and started looking online for a tandem bike.  They are expensive!  So I let go of the dream and decided we’d just rent a bike when we wanted to ride.  But then midway through the week, I had a little whisper to look on KSL (just like when I found Dad’s truck and my China) for a tandem bike.  I also had the impression to look for the same brand we’d rented as we knew that brand could hold up.  I found one for $300 up in Kaysville.  And we now have a tandem bike!!!!  WHEEEeeee.  

As Dad and I biked an hour or so yesterday, we passed people who would look at us and then, recognizing that we were on a tandem bike, grin.  I told Dad that same grin was on my face the entire time.  When I opened up my browser to write you this morning, there were four tabs left open all with things pertaining to bikes and tandems.  Dad said he watched one video about tandems and a man shared a saying known to tandem bikers: wherever your marriage is headed, it will get there faster on a tandem.  Love it!  Dad and I have a blast.

Monday night for FHE, after our monkey picture took waaaay too long because Dad and I were tooooo tired, we had back to school blessings.  My heart was drawn out to you that night.  I love the spirit of prophecy and revelation that we have in our home when Dad exercises his Priesthood in our behalf. I was told some of the very same things that I had been told last year.  But I’d forgotten them until they came to my ears again; I had managed to start worrying about the same things without referring to that counsel.  I always marvel when I read the scriptures that words are recorded sometime after the vision has occurred and there are lots of details and syntax to keep straight. You can tell I’d feel inadequate at that job!

Wednesday was the first day of school.  I felt awful.  I had a sinus infection and just felt fluish and blah.  I forgot to set my alarm.  Dad woke and got us all up at 6:45.  I sent the kids off for their first day of school with cold cereal for breakfast: guilt.  I forgot to take pictures until the bus was already there to get Elise.  And that’s how the day went for me.

The kids seemed to do well getting back into the swing of things.  Elise is happy to be back with friends, Aleah is relieved that she really does remember Chinese.  Parker has a good schedule and likes his teachers.  Josie is the only one really not happy with the return to school.  You see, I’m busy and there isn’t a playmate for her here when everyone is off.  This is going to take some adjusting for us.  But we’ll do it.

Cambry and T broke up this week. He's closer than she's ever been, but the compatibilty wasn't a superior fit. But she was reassured in her blessing this week which happend before the breakup, that her husband is held in reserve for her and he holds all the virtue she does, a match. And she was told that she will be better in his company than she could be without. Worth waiting for! I'm excited to meet him.

Parker was set apart for the Stake Youth Council this afternoon. And Grandma P was called out of the audience to share her testimony during the general meeting of Stake Conference today. She did a nice job. Did I tell you they were just released from the Canyon Breeze calling?

Dad and I were able to attend CB's sealing in the Payson temple Friday. His bride and he are both 25 and they are so happy to have found one another. There was such a sweet, sweet feeling in the ceremony. We also missed the adult session of Stake Conference last night to be with them at their reception. Choose well, my son! It makes all the difference. And since you're not thinking about your own future in this way at all, let me remind you that if we bring concerns to you, it's not that we want to control your life. It's just that we have wisdom and experience and your best interest at heart. You know this already, but I have reasons to remind you (which are quite independent of you). Just to ease my mind, hear me now.

Friday night Dad and I went and saw the Cokeville Miracle about the small Wyoming town, predominantly LDS, who had a gunman walk into their elementary school with a bomb back in 1986.  The whole school was held hostage in one classroom for a few hours.  The bomb went off accidentally yet the only two people who died were the gunman and his wife.  I was glad I gave my time to that story.  I remember hearing accounts of the angels being with the kids at the time.  I know something of those who minister to us.  I was also touched by the end titles in which it was acknowledged that there are many other innocent people who are not delivered from similar situations.  Yet even while Christ walked the earth, not every leper was healed, not every blind person was given sight.  While we can’t explain why some receive miraculous intervention and others do not, we should be willing to see God’s hand wherever it is revealed.  That touched me.

Well, DB is home from his mission.  I forgot to tell you that Mr. R’s wife passed away unexpectedly this summer following knee surgery.  She threw a pulmonary embolism and went quickly.  The school community is rallying around the family.  And Mr. W’s wife is running for city council in P right now.  I guess JF is on a mission now because she isn’t liking the family pictures on facebook anymore and she was always one of the first ones to see and acknowledge the post.

I love you so much.  I can’t wait to hear from you.  Thank you for always sending us good letters that let us know what you’re experiencing.  You’re constantly in our prayers.

Love,

Mom